title: Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in elderly patients with primary Sjögren syndrome: a duplex Doppler sonographic study.
abstract: A growing body of evidence presents a link between chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases and atherosclerosis. To evaluate subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in an elderly group of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome compared with a control group matched for age, sex, ethnicity and cardiovascular risk factors, we enrolled 18 patients with Primary Sjögren Syndrome (mean age 65 ± 5.93 SD) and 18 mild Ostheoarthritic patients (mean age 66 ± 5.94 SD) from the outpatient department of Rheumatology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy, matched for age, sex, ethnicity and cardiovascular risk factors. A duplex Doppler sonographic study of carotids was performed in order to evaluate intima-media thickness (IMT), stiffness and haemodynamic parameters [resistivity and pulsatility indices (RI and PI, respectively)]. No significant difference was found between primary Sjögren syndrome and control patients in IMT, stiffness and haemodynamic parameters. The lack of significant difference in subclinical atherosclerosis between elderly primary Sjögren syndrome and control matched patients, indicates that traditional cardiovascular risk factors, immunologic alterations and chronic inflammation do not influence the progression of vascular damage in the carotid circulation of patients with median disease duration of 6.5 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Rheumatology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Rheumatology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sambataro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Rheumatology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Rheumatology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D P E
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Margiotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Rheumatology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A M V
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Afeltra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000379:methods*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness