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Arterial stiffness in chronic inflammatory diseases.
Mary J Roman1, Richard B Devereux, Joseph E Schwartz
1Division of Cardiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, 525 East 68th St, New York, NY 10021, USA. mroman@med.cornell.edu
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|May 25, 2005
Summary
Chronic inflammatory diseases increase arterial stiffness, a sign of vascular disease, independent of atherosclerosis. This stiffness is linked to disease duration, cholesterol, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein and IL-6.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Chronic inflammatory diseases are linked to premature atherosclerosis.
- The role of arterial stiffness in these conditions, independent of atherosclerosis, remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate arterial stiffness in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis compared to healthy controls.
- To determine if increased arterial stiffness is present independently of atherosclerosis in chronic inflammatory diseases.
Main Methods:
- Carotid ultrasonography and radial applanation tonometry were used in 101 lupus patients, 80 rheumatoid arthritis patients, and 105 controls.
- Arterial stiffness was assessed using beta, Young's modulus, and Peterson's elastic modulus.
- Multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of arterial stiffness.
Main Results:
- Patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis had significantly increased arterial stiffness compared to controls, even after adjusting for blood pressure.
- Atherosclerotic plaque was more prevalent in patient groups.
- Arterial stiffness was independently related to age, serum glucose, and chronic inflammatory disease presence in the overall population.
- In patients, stiffness correlated with age at diagnosis, disease duration, cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP), and IL-6.
- Increased arterial stiffness persisted in patients without carotid plaque.
Conclusions:
- Arterial stiffness is elevated in chronic inflammatory disorders, independent of atherosclerosis.
- Disease duration, cholesterol levels, and inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) are associated with increased arterial stiffness in these patients.