Mechanisms of accelerated atherosclerosis associated with IMIDs

Excerpt

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall responsible for most ischaemic cardiovascular diseases. Circulating levels of several cytokines are associated with disease burden, and CRP levels predict the risk of future cardiovascular events. Furthermore, the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased in patients with chronic systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Intriguingly however, classic circulating inflammatory biomarkers are not related to atherosclerosis progression in IMIDs, suggesting more subtle intricate links between atherosclerosis and IMIDs. …