Impairment of arterial distensibility in premenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting young women and is associated with increased frequency of atherosclerotic vascular diseases. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an index of arterial stiffness and a marker of cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate arterial distensibility using carotid-femoral (aortic) PWV measurements in premenopausal women with SLE.

METHODS: We recruited 24 premenopausal women with SLE (SLE duration: 5.3+/-4.6 years) and 24 age- and sex-matched controls. Aortic PWV was determined by using an automatic device, the Complior Colson (France), which allowed on-line pulse wave recording and automatic calculation of PWV.

RESULTS: The carotid-femoral PWV (8.98+/-2.05 vs. 8.05+/-0.94 m/s), systolic blood pressure (117.08+/-17.12 vs. 106.87+/-11.96 mmHg), pulse pressure (45.62+/-11.91 vs. 38.33+/-9.04 mmHg), heart rate (81.41+/-9.20 vs. 71.12+/-10.32 beat/min) and serum glucose levels (89.68+/-8.12 vs. 73.80+/-10.72 mg/dl) were significantly higher in premenopausal women with SLE, as compared with control subjects (p=0.04, p=0.02, p=0.02, p=0.001, p <0.001, respectively). We found a significant correlation between PWV and age, body mass index, waist--to-hip ratio, heart rate and blood pressure.

CONCLUSION: Arterial distensibility is decreased in premenopausal women with SLE.