title: Cardiac risk factor awareness and management in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess awareness and management of traditional cardiac risk factors (CRFs) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  SLE patients (n=110) completed a questionnaire concerning CRFs. Medical records were reviewed blinded to questionnaire results for the presence and management of 6 CRFs: hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and physical inactivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects were predominantly female (97%), mean (+/-SD) age was 43.4 years (+/-11.8), mean SLE duration was 15.3 years (+/-7.2), and 51% had > or =2 CRFs by self report. Twenty-three percent had never had their cholesterol levels checked. Hypercholesterolemia was more frequently documented in the medical records than reported by the patient (33% versus 24%). Physical inactivity was more frequently self reported than documented (59% versus 23%). Rheumatologists and patients had low interrater reliability for the presence of hypercholesterolemia (kappa=0.26) and physical inactivity (kappa=-0.02). More than half (58%) of CRFs were treated, and 21% of subjects with elevated cholesterol received a medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recognition, recording, and management of CRFs falls short given the significance of the problem.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. KCostenbader@Partners.org
authors.forename: Karen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Costenbader
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Matthew H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Elizabeth W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Karlson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008019:Life Style; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012307:Risk Factors; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires