Comparable effects of traditional cardiovascular risk factors on subclinical atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased premature prevalence of atherosclerosis. We aimed to determine whether there are differences in the prevalence of classic cardiovascular risk factors between SLE and RA. We also analysed the effect of traditional cardiovascular risk factors on the development of subclinical atherosclerosis in both conditions and if some disease-characteristic features are associated with these traditional cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study encompassing 602 individuals, 276 SLE and 326 RA patients. Subclinical atherosclerosis (presence of carotid plaques and carotid intima-media thickness [cIMT]) was determined by carotid ultrasonography. A multivariable regression analysis was performed to evaluate whether classic cardiovascular-related risk factors differentially influence subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in SLE compared to RA patients. RESULTS: Age (interaction factor [if] p=0.000), hypertension (if p=0.034), and diabetes (if p=0.037) had a higher effect on cIMT in RA than in SLE subjects. However, these traditional cardiovascular factors did not yield different effects on the presence of carotid plaques in RA and SLE when the univariate interaction was analysed. In addition, no differences were found in the influence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia or current smoking on cIMT or carotid plaque after adjusting for demographics, the presence of other traditional cardiovascular factors, and disease-related data. Moreover, the additive effect of several cardiovascular risk factors on the subclinical carotid atherosclerosis did not differ between the two diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors on cIMT and carotid plaque is similar in RA and SLE. Spanish Ministry of Health, Subdireccion General de Evaluacion y Fomento de la Investigacion, Plan Estatal de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica y de Innovacion 2013-2016 Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional - FEDER - (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias) (FIS PI14/00394; PI17/00083) Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain) (PI06/0024) 4.473 JCR (2020) Q2, Rheumatology 1.184 SJR (2020) Q2, 88/213 Immunology No data IDR 2020 UEC