title: Coronary, Carotid, and Lower-extremity Atherosclerosis and Their Interrelationship in Danish Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atherosclerosis is highly prevalent among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but has been demonstrated predominantly in non-European SLE cohorts and few investigations have included more than 1 imaging modality. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of atherosclerosis in 3 frequently affected vascular territories, the coronary, carotid, and lower-extremity arteries, in a Danish, predominantly population-based SLE cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with SLE without prior cardiovascular disease (CVD; n = 103) were screened for coronary artery calcification, carotid intima-media thickening and plaque, and abnormal ankle-brachial index by means of cardiac computed tomography, ultrasound of the carotid arteries, and ankle systolic blood pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with SLE, the prevalence of atherosclerosis in any vascular territory was 41%. The distribution of the atherosclerotic manifestations showed an overlap with 45% of the patients having involvement in more than 1 vascular territory. However, more than one-third of the patients with SLE with coronary, carotid, or lower-extremity atherosclerosis exclusively demonstrated this particular manifestation. Based on a multiple logistic regression model, age (p < 0.001), current smoking (p = 0.009), and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC; p = 0.008) were significant independent risk factors for atherosclerosis at any vascular territory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atherosclerosis is highly prevalent among Danish patients with SLE without prior CVD. Screening for atherosclerosis in 1 vascular territory is insufficient in diagnosing atherosclerosis in patients with SLE. In Danish patients with SLE, the presence of atherosclerosis was not only assigned to traditional CV risk factors, but also associated with SLICC.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Rheumatology, and Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.S.D. Kay, MD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital; M.K. Poulsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A.C. Diederichsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A. Voss, PhD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital. susan.due.kay@rsyd.dk.
authors.forename: Susan Due
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Rheumatology, and Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.S.D. Kay, MD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital; M.K. Poulsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A.C. Diederichsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A. Voss, PhD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital.
authors.forename: Mikael Kjaer
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Rheumatology, and Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.S.D. Kay, MD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital; M.K. Poulsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A.C. Diederichsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A. Voss, PhD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital.
authors.forename: Axel Cosmus Pyndt
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Diederichsen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Rheumatology, and Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.S.D. Kay, MD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital; M.K. Poulsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A.C. Diederichsen, PhD, Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital; A. Voss, PhD, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003718:Denmark; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: ANKLE BRACHIAL INDEX; ATHEROSCLEROSIS; CAROTID INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS; CAROTID PLAQUE; CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM; SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS