Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025
09:43
Analyses of Proteinuria, Renal Infiltration of Leukocytes, and Renal Deposition of Proteins in Lupus-prone MRL/lpr Mice
Published on: June 8, 2022
2.9K
Managing Cardiovascular Risk in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Considerations for the Clinician.
Teresa Semalulu1, Achieng Tago2, Kevin Zhao3
1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Immunotargets and Therapy
|December 13, 2023
Summary
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients face cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death. Assessing cardiovascular risk requires considering traditional and non-traditional factors for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Cardiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Improved survival in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has shifted mortality causes towards cardiovascular disease.
- SLE patients experience accelerated atherosclerosis due to disease-specific mechanisms impacting endothelial function and arterial health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical need for comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment in SLE patients.
- To emphasize the inadequacy of traditional risk scores alone for this population.
Main Methods:
- Reviewing disease-specific mechanisms contributing to atherosclerosis in SLE.
- Evaluating the role of both traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
- Discussing current cardiovascular screening and risk reduction strategies.
Main Results:
- Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of mortality in SLE.
- Non-traditional factors like disease activity and corticosteroid use significantly influence cardiovascular risk.
- Standard risk prediction models underestimate cardiovascular risk in SLE.
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment, including non-traditional factors and advanced screening, is crucial for SLE patients.
- Risk reduction strategies require tailored approaches, including specific medication considerations like hydroxychloroquine.
- Further research into cardiovascular benefits of SLE therapies is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Assessment of the Cardiovascular System I: Subjective Data
343
A thorough health history and physical assessment are essential for identifying cardiovascular disease (CVD) symptoms and distinguishing them from other health issues.
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...
343
01:29Assessment of the Cardiovascular System II: Inspection
265
Inspection is the initial step in assessing the cardiovascular system. It involves a detailed visual examination that provides crucial information about a patient's circulatory and cardiac health. This systematic process, conducted from head to toe, helps identify signs of cardiovascular conditions by observing physical appearance, skin and mucous membranes, jugular and carotid pulsations, chest symmetry, and the condition of the extremities.
Head and Neck
Head and Neck
265
01:26Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
436
The activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to cardiac remodeling, and inhibiting the RAAS is a pharmacological target in heart failure management. As a result, neurohumoral modulation is a crucial treatment principle for managing heart failure. This approach involves using medications like ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and neutral...
436
01:18Cardiovascular Drugs: Classification based on Therapeutic Indications
2.9K
Cardiovascular diseases, encompassing a range of conditions, can significantly affect the heart's operations and the overall circulatory system. These conditions impair the heart's ability to pump blood, leading to a deficit in oxygen supply to crucial organs. Anomalies in the heart's electrical system, known as arrhythmias, can cause heartbeats to accelerate or slow down. Usually, heart rates increase during physical activity and decrease while resting or sleeping. However,...
2.9K
01:18Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure
2.1K
Hypertension, the most common cardiovascular disease, is diagnosed through repeated measurements of elevated blood pressure. Its risks, including damage to the kidney, heart, and brain, are directly proportional to blood pressure levels. Starting from 115/75 mm Hg, the risk of cardiovascular disease doubles with each increment of 20/10 mm Hg. The diagnosis relies on blood pressure measurements, not on patient symptoms, as hypertension is often asymptomatic until end-organ damage is imminent or...
2.1K
01:19Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers
95
Cardiac biomarkers are critical in diagnosing, prognosing, and managing cardiovascular diseases. Routine measurement of specific biomarkers such as B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine (Hcy) is common practice in clinical settings to evaluate heart function and predict cardiovascular events.
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
95