Imaging assessment of cardiovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Cardiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis.
• Patients with SLE exhibit increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
• Cardiovascular disease mortality in SLE patients has not improved, partly due to inadequate risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current imaging tools for assessing cardiac and vascular function in SLE patients.
• To highlight the need for improved cardiovascular risk assessment in SLE.
• To explore the shift towards early diagnosis in asymptomatic SLE patients.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on cardiovascular imaging techniques.
• Focus on tools assessing cardiac and vascular function.
• Analysis of imaging's role in SLE cardiovascular risk stratification.

Main Results:

• Standard risk stratification tools perform poorly in SLE patients.
• Accelerated atherosclerosis in SLE results from combined traditional and lupus-specific factors.
• Imaging techniques offer potential for early detection in asymptomatic individuals.

Conclusions:

• Effective cardiovascular risk assessment in SLE requires novel approaches.
• Imaging modalities are crucial for identifying early cardiac and vascular disease in SLE.
• Early detection via imaging can potentially prevent cardiovascular disease progression in SLE.