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.