Primary cardiac disease in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: protective and risk factors--data from a multi-ethnic Latin American cohort.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the cumulative incidence, risk and protective factors and impact on mortality of primary cardiac disease in SLE patients (disease duration ≤2 years) from a multi-ethnic, international, longitudinal inception cohort (34 centres, 9 Latin American countries).

Methods: Risk and protective factors of primary cardiac disease (pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, arrhythmias and/or valvular abnormalities) were evaluated.

Results: Of 1437 patients, 202 (14.

Anti-malarials exert a protective effect while Mestizo patients are at increased risk of developing SLE renal disease: data from a Latin-American cohort.

Objective: To examine the role of ethnicity and the use of anti-malarials (protective) on lupus renal disease.

Methods: A nested case-control study (1:2 proportion, n = 265 and 530) within GLADEL's (Grupo Latino Americano De Estudio de Lupus) longitudinal inception cohort was carried out. The end-point was ACR renal criterion development after diagnosis.