Correlates of formal work disability in an urban university systemic lupus erythematosus practice.

Objective: Work disability in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been sparsely studied. We sought to determine the demographic, disease-specific, and psychological features associated with work disability in patients with SLE at our medical center.

Methods: Ambulatory patients with SLE were enrolled in a cross-sectional study.

Whole blood viscosity and arterial thrombotic events in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To determine if whole blood viscosity (WBV), a rheologic variable contributing to risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in the general population, is elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), particularly SLE patients with a history of thrombotic or atherothrombotic events. Because the high rates of arterial and venous thrombosis in lupus cannot be explained by traditional risk factors, elevated WBV may be an easily measurable nontraditional risk factor to identify SLE patients at high risk for thrombotic events.

Methods: Sixty SLE patients (30 with a history of a thrombotic event) and 20 matched controls were recruited into the study.