AORTIC STIFFNESS IS INCREASED IN NORMOTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

INTRODUCTION: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a 4- to 10-fold increased risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) events compared with the general population. The enhanced CV risk conferred by SLE may in part be mediated through preclinical CV damage. Large artery stiffness is usually assessed by measuring aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), a marker of early vascular aging (EVA) and an independent predictor of adverse CV prognosis. Several studies examined aortic stiffness in SLE with inconsistent results. AIM: To evaluate aPWV and the prevalence of EVA in a group of normotensive patients with SLE and to compare these values with those obtained in age- and gender- matched…