EARLY VASCULAR AGING IN NORMOTENSIVE SUBJECTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS. COMPARISON WITH YOUNG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Introduction: It is well known that connective tissue diseases, like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, are associated with early and accelerated atherosclerosis. During the last year, it has well established the concept of ‘‘Early vascular aging’’ (EVA), whose the aortic stiffness represents one of the most important markers.Aim: To evaluate early vascular aging, assessed by measuring Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), as an arterialstiffness index, in a group of normotensive patients with SLE and to compare these subjects with a group of youngessential hypertensive (EH) individuals.Methods: In this cross-sectional study we have enrolled 50normotensive SLE subjects (45 women and 5 men) with mean age of 39 ± 11.6 years matched for age and sex witha group of essential hypertensive patients (mean age 39 ± 10.8 years, 45 women and 5 men) and with a controlgroup of health volunteers. Each patient has been underwent to 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement(ABPM) and to aPWV measurement through an oscillometric device (Arteriograph).Results: Clinic and 24-h systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were significantly lower in the SLEpatients and in control group patients when compared to those of the hypertensive subjects (all p< 0.005). Despitethis difference regarding BP, aPWV and IMT were not different between the two studied groups, being respectivelyPWV: 8.8 ± 2 m/s; IMT: 0.81 ± 0.2 I n SLE subjects and PWV: 9.5 ± 2 m/s IMT 0.77 ± 0.2 in the groupof young essential hypertensive patients; p[0.05. In both groups aPWV was greater than that of the normal populationin the same age category (7.1 m/s). In addition to this, the number of patients with higher value of aPWVthan 10 m/s (cut off that identifies who has more cardiovascular risk) it hasn’t been significant different betweenSLE patients (26 %) and hypertensive ones (38 %) Conclusions: Our results seem to suggest that SLE hasthe same deleterious impact on vascular aging as well as high blood pressure. It is very likely that this unfavourableeffect of SLE is mediated by chronic inflammation.