heart

Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Increase the Risk of Cardiac Arrhythmia in lupus

Hydroxychloroquine Does Not Increase the Risk of Cardiac Arrhythmia in lupus

Hydroxychloroquine is widely used to treat certain viral and rheumatic diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus. Cardiac arrhythmia is an important safety issue with hydroxychloroquine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hydroxychloroquine increases new-onset arrhythmia among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abnormal Blood Pressure Patterns May Predict Cardiovascular Disease in Juvenile-onset SLE

Abnormal Blood Pressure Patterns May Predict Cardiovascular Disease in Juvenile-onset SLE

Abnormal blood pressure patterns during sleep and overall high blood pressure may independently predict cardiovascular disease in patients with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus(JSLE), according to a recent update on research supported by the Lupus Foundation of America.

Restoring this enzyme's function protects against heart disease in lupus

Restoring this enzyme's function protects against heart disease in lupus

Patients with lupus, an inflammatory disease in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues, are on average seven to nine times more likely to develop heart disease than the general population. Younger women with lupus are 50 times as likely to develop the disease as young women without the disease.

The endothelium -- the single layer of cells lining blood vessel walls -- is thought to protect against heart disease. It does so in part by producing nitric oxide.

Study Identifies Potential New Targets for Improving Heart Health in People with Lupus

Study Identifies Potential New Targets for Improving Heart Health in People with Lupus

People with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and atherosclerosis. A new study conducted in Columbia has identified potential new therapeutic targets for reducing endothelial damage (defined as the destruction of the membrane that lines the inside of the heart and blood vessels).

Heart Disease Less Likely in Lupus Patients in Remission for 5 or More Years

Heart Disease Less Likely in Lupus Patients in Remission for 5 or More Years

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in remission for five or more years are at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those with shorter remission times or who fail to enter remission, a retrospective study reports.

The study, “Prolonged remission is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale) study,” was published in Clinical Rheumatology.

Study reveals early signs of cardiac impairment in patients with newly diagnosed lupus

Study reveals early signs of cardiac impairment in patients with newly diagnosed lupus

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in patients with lupus, a systemic autoimmune disease. In a new study in Arthritis & Rheumatology—a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology—imaging tests revealed signs of cardiac impairment in patients newly diagnosed with lupus, even before any symptoms of chest discomfort.