Cardiovascular involvement in autoimmune diseases.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Autoimmune diseases (AD) are chronic conditions impacting quality of life.
• Atherosclerosis (AT) is now recognized as an autoimmune-inflammatory disease, not merely degenerative.
• AD patients experience excessive cardiovascular events not fully explained by traditional risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in autoimmune diseases (AD).
• To explore the contribution of traditional and nontraditional risk factors to CVD in AD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of autoimmune diseases and atherosclerosis.
• Analysis of immune mechanisms in atherogenesis.
• Evaluation of risk factors for premature vascular damage in AD.

Main Results:

• Atherosclerosis involves immune system activation, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and arterial narrowing.
• Both humoral and cellular immune mechanisms play a role in AT onset and progression.
• Novel risk factors contribute significantly to vascular damage in AD patients.

Conclusions:

• Cardiovascular disease in AD is complex, involving autoimmune-inflammatory processes.
• Traditional risk factors alone do not account for the high CVD burden in AD.
• Further research into novel risk factors is essential for effective CVD prevention and management in AD.