Self-reported physical activity in Danish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Physical activity is acknowledged as an important factor for enhancing health, and the WHO recommends performing physical activity weekly. The aim of this study was to describe self-reported physical activity in a population of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Methods: The patients were enrolled at outpatient consultations where patient and disease characteristics such as age, gender, disease damage (SLICC/ACR-DI), disease activity (SLEDAI-2K) and medication were registered.

Prevalence of Newly Diagnosed Malignancies in Patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis, Comparison of 18F-FDG PET/CT Scan with Chest X-ray and Abdominal Ultrasound: Data from a 40 Week Prospective, Exploratory, Single Centre Study.

The aim of the study was to identify the prevalence of newly diagnosed malignancies in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA), with the aid of 18F-FDG PET/CT scan compared to conventional imaging techniques: Chest X-ray (CXR) and abdominal ultrasound (US). Secondarily, to examine the relative diagnostic accuracy of these two imaging modalities for the detection of cancer. Eighty consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PMR, GCA, or concomitant PMR and GCA, were included and followed up for 40 weeks.

Coronary, Carotid, and Lower-extremity Atherosclerosis and Their Interrelationship in Danish Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: Atherosclerosis is highly prevalent among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but has been demonstrated predominantly in non-European SLE cohorts and few investigations have included more than 1 imaging modality. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of atherosclerosis in 3 frequently affected vascular territories, the coronary, carotid, and lower-extremity arteries, in a Danish, predominantly population-based SLE cohort.

Methods: Patients with SLE without prior cardiovascular disease (CVD; n = 103) were screened for coronary artery calcification, carotid intima-media thickening and plaque, and abnormal ankle-brachial index by means of cardiac computed tomography, ultrasound of the carotid arteries, and ankle systolic blood pressure.

Cardiac abnormalities assessed by non-invasive techniques in patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objectives: Knowledge of cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is limited, especially in the early stage of disease. The objective of the present study was to perform a controlled evaluation of cardiac abnormalities in newly diagnosed, untreated patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) by means of non-invasive techniques.

Methods: Fourteen patients with IIM (8 polymyositis, 4 dermatomyositis, 2 cancer-associated dermatomyositis) and 14 gender- and age- matched healthy control subjects were investigated.

Validation of the Fatigue Severity Scale in Danish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Fatigue is a symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which has a substantial effect on the patients' quality of life and is a parameter that is difficult to quantify. The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) is a validated and reliable tool for quantifying fatigue. However, no Danish translation has yet been developed or validated.