Cardiovascular risk and inflammation in rheumatic diseases

Excerpt

Cardiovascular manifestations of rheumatic diseases have been thoroughly examined over the past decades. It has been established that all structures of the heart can be affected due to the long-term systemic inflammation and specific autoimmune and autoinflammatory factors [1]. Classic clinical models of cardiovascular phenomenon in rheumatic diseases are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which are associated with enhanced course of atherosclerosis and various atherothrombotic events. Numerous large cohort studies of RA and SLE have provided evidence of atypical and severe course of myocardial infarction and heart failure in these autoimmune diseases, necessitating specific early diagnostic and preventive approaches. …