Cardiovascular Consequences of Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

• Published in: Current vascular pharmacology Vol. 18; no. 6; p. 566
• Main Authors: Atzeni, Fabiola, Nucera, Valeria, Gerratana, Elisabetta, Fiorenza, Alessia, Gianturco, Luigi, Corda, Marco, Sarzi-Puttini, Piercarlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United Arab Emirates 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Animals; Autoimmune Diseases - epidemiology; Autoimmune Diseases - immunology; Autoimmune Diseases - mortality; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - immunology; Cardiovascular Diseases - mortality; Comorbidity; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Humans; Inflammation - epidemiology; Inflammation - immunology; Inflammation - mortality; Life Style; Prognosis; Protective Factors; Rheumatic Diseases - epidemiology; Rheumatic Diseases - immunology; Rheumatic Diseases - mortality; Risk Assessment; CVD; atherosclerosis; spondyloarthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus; Cardiovascular involvement; rheumatoid arthritis
• ISSN: 1875-6212
• DOI: 10.2174/1570161118666200127142936

The increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus has been extensively documented. Sub-clinical atherosclerosis can be assessed using various non-invasive imaging techniques. However, the mechanisms underlying the higher risk of atherosclerotic CVD in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases are not fully known, although they seem to include chronic low-grade systemic inflammation leading to prolonged endothelial activation, accompanied by a pro-thrombotic/pro-coagulant and autoantibody state. Furthermore, sub-clinical atherosclerosis is also influenced by other traditional risk factors for CVD. Including the individual components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS: obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure), the degree of which is higher in these patients than in controls. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the CV manifestations and risk factors involved in the increased risk of CVD among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.