Implications of immunosuppressive agents in cardiovascular risks and carotid intima media thickness among lupus nephritis patients.

Introduction: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, particularly with lupus nephritis (LN), are at risk of premature cardiovascular (CV) disease.

Objective: To determine the association between immunosuppressive medications, traditional CV risk factors and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) among patients with LN.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study in which consecutive LN patients attending the Nephrology/SLE Clinic were evaluated for traditional CV risk factors.

Thickened carotid intima media thickness and carotid atherosclerosis among lupus nephritis patients: the role of traditional and lupus-specific factors.

Aim: The objectives of this study were to investigate the frequency of thickened carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and atherosclerosis among lupus nephritis (LN) patients and to study their associated risk factors.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, carotid ultrasonography was performed on consecutive LN patients to determine CIMT and presence of carotid plaques. CIMT was considered to be abnormally thickened if it was more than the 75th percentile matched for age and sex from the 'Carotid Atherosclerosis Progression Study'.

A cross-sectional study of diastolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis and its association with disease activity.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients without clinically evident cardiovascular manifestations and to estimate whether there is any correlation between RA disease severity and disability and LV diastolic dysfunction.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study involving 53 patients (47 female and 6 male) with RA without clinically evident heart disease and 53 healthy subjects (47 female and 6 male) who served as a control group. Both groups were matched for age and sex.