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Author Spotlight: Assessing the Cardiovascular Profile of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
Published on: September 27, 2024
Cardiovascular risk and its modification in patients with connective tissue diseases
Miriam O'Sullivan1, Ian N Bruce1, Deborah P M Symmons1
1Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Manchester, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK; NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
Insights
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients face higher atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. More research is needed on cardiovascular risk in other connective tissue diseases (CTDs) to improve patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Cardiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a well-documented increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Both traditional risk factors and disease-specific factors contribute to this elevated CVD risk in SLE.
- Cardiovascular risk and outcomes in other connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current evidence on cardiovascular risk in connective tissue diseases (CTDs).
- To highlight the need for longitudinal observational studies and clinical collaboration to investigate CVD in rare CTDs.
- To propose a structured, target-based approach for assessing and managing cardiovascular risk in CTDs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing evidence on cardiovascular risk in CTDs.
- Discussion of the importance and design of longitudinal observational studies.
- Proposal of a management strategy for cardiovascular risk in CTDs.
Main Results:
- Evidence confirms increased cardiovascular risk in SLE patients.
- Significant gaps exist in understanding cardiovascular risk across various CTDs.
- Current structured protocols for managing cardiovascular risk in CTDs are lacking.
Conclusions:
- Further research, particularly large-scale longitudinal studies, is crucial for understanding CVD in CTDs.
- Collaborative efforts among clinicians are essential to build sufficient cohorts for robust research.
- A target-based approach is proposed for proactive assessment and management of cardiovascular risk in CTD patients.
Abstract:
It is well documented that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease. There is evidence that traditional risk factors and disease-related factors are involved in this increased risk. Less is known about CV risk and outcomes in other connective tissue diseases (CTDs). Future longitudinal observational studies may help to answer these important questions; however, because CTDs are rare, collaboration between clinicians with similar research interests is needed to ensure sufficiently large cohorts are available to address these issues. Here, we review the evidence available for CV risk in CTDs and discuss the benefits of longitudinal observational studies in identifying CV outcomes. Structured care protocols for the management of CV risk in CTDs are lacking. We propose a target-based approach to assessing and managing CV risk in CTDs.
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