P173 Progression of subclinical cardiovascular disease in SLE: a five year follow up study

Background Patients with SLE have 5-10-fold increased risk of developing CVD compared to age and sex-matched controls. The average age of developing a first CVD event in patients with SLE is only 49. In this study we aimed to describe the rate and determinants of carotid plaque progression in a cohort of SLE patients who were asymptomatic of CVD at baseline. Methods We carried out vascular ultrasound studies of 100 patients with SLE asymptomatic of CVD at baseline. Sixty-nine patients were rescanned over a median of 5 years of follow up. Ninety-four percent who were re-scanned were women and the mean overall age was 46 years (SD 11). Clinical and CVD risk was assessed at baseline and follow up. The same protocol for assessment at baseline using B-mode Doppler ultrasound to measure intimal media thickness and plaque was used at follow up to assess progression. We also assessed total plaque area (TPA), a more sensitive measure of plaque, and echolucency expressed as gray scale median (GSM) which is linked to plaque lipid content. Results Of the 100 patients with a baseline scan, 69 patients had a second scan at a median of 5 years follow up. New plaque developed in 9% and 26% had an increase in plaque number. The mean overall IMT (0.111 vs 0.064, p < 0.01) and common carotid IMT (0.065 vs 0.055, p < 0.01) were significantly raised in plaque vs non-plaque patients. In a multi -variable analysis CIMT at follow-up was independently associated with age (beta 0.415, p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (beta 0.285, p < 0.021). Independent predictors of plaque at follow-up scan on multi-variable analysis were age at scan>52 years (OR 10.41, CI 2.66-40.80) and systolic BP > 133 (OR 5.26, CI 1.396 - 19.862). In contrast, total cholesterol was negatively correlated with TPA (beta = -1.167, p = 0.002) and with GSM (beta = -0.513, p = 0.012). Conclusion Amongst these 69 patients, 26% had increased plaque and none had decreased plaque over a median of five years follow-up. Measurement of novel ultrasound variables such as TPA and echolucency may identify more modifiable risk factors that can be used to improve CVD outcomes in patients with SLE. Disclosures J. Bakshi: None. M. Griffin: None. S. Croca: None. F. Farhina: None. D. Isenberg: None. A. Nicolaides: None. A. Rahman: None.