Cardiovascular risk factor screening in systemic lupus erythematosus

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a significantly elevated risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease.
• Effective management of SLE requires proactive identification and mitigation of CV risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of cardiovascular disease risk factor screening in patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 183 patient records from a lupus clinic and private practices.
• Assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and others.
• Comparison of screening frequencies between the lupus clinic and private practices.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular disease risk factor screening was found to be uncommon in the assessed practices.
• Lipid profiles were measured in only 31% of patients, with higher rates in the lupus clinic (62%) versus private practices (15%).
• While screening for some factors like nephrotic syndrome (91%) and hypertension (74%) was more frequent, overall assessment was low.

Conclusions:

• Despite the high CV disease burden in SLE, screening for risk factors remains inadequate.
• There is a critical need to improve the systematic assessment of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Enhanced screening strategies are essential for better cardiovascular outcomes in this patient population.