title: Premature atherosclerosis in primary antiphospholipid syndrome: preliminary data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the atherosclerosis hypothesis in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The intima media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries and other cardiovascular risk factors was measured in 20 patients with PAPS (mean (SD) age 35 (12) years) and in 20 controls matched for age and sex (34 (12) years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of smoking, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia was similar in the two groups, but plasma homocysteine was higher in patients with PAPS (mean (SD) 11.9 (6.2) v 8.2 (3.4) micromol/l, p = 0.037). The IMT was slightly greater in patients with PAPS than in controls at the carotid bifurcation (mean (SD) 0.61 (0.24) v 0.48 (0.09) mm, p = 0.04) and internal carotid artery (0.52 (0.22) v 0.40 (0.08), p = 0.01). These differences were more evident in patients aged >40 years than in those aged <30 years at the carotid bifurcation (0.76 (0.25) v 0.55 (0.06), p = 0.0007) and internal carotid artery (0.63 (0.25) v 0.45 (0.09), p = 0.02); no differences were seen in the younger age group compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atherosclerosis is a possibility in patients with PAPS in their fourth decade of life or older.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Rheumatology, Leeds General Infirmary, Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK. paxmes@aol.com
authors.forename: P R J
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margarita
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Sokoll
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weston
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brancaccio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography