Clinical Edge

Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

CLE Linked to Increased Risk of Cardio Accidents

Arthritis Care Res; ePub 2016 Oct 26; Singh, et al

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular accidents (CVAs) and peripheral artery disease (PAD), but not ischemic heart disease (IHD), according to a recent study. Researchers followed all incident cases of CLE in Olmsted County, MN, between 1965 and 2005 until December 2013. The cumulative incidence of CVAs, IHD, heart failure, and PAD was derived and compared to an age-, sex-, and calendar year–matched non-CLE cohort. They found:

  • There were 155 patients with CLE (mean ± SD age at diagnosis 48 ± 16 years, 65% female, mean ± SD BMI 26.3 ± 7.1 kg/m2, 40% smokers, 9% with diabetes mellitus).
  • During a median followup of 14.6 years, 41 CLE patients had cardiovascular events (15 patients with CVAs, 32 patients with IHD), with a 20-year cumulative incidence of 31.6%.
  • As compared to non-CLE subjects, the risk of CVAs and PAD was increased in patients with CLE, but the risk of IHD was not increased.
  • There was no increase in cardiovascular mortality.

Citation:

Singh AG, Crowson CS, Singh S, et al. Risk of cerebrovascular accidents and ischemic heart disease in cutaneous lupus erythematosus: A population-based cohort study. [Published online ahead of print October 26, 2016]. Arthritis Care Res. doi:10.1002/acr.22892.