Cardiovascular Disorders in Autoimmune Disease

The presence of Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) impacts negatively on expectation and quality of life of the population, being one of the main causes of disability. Many of those who become cardiovascular patients throughout their life could have had different evolution if preventive attitudes were taken. Since 50’s decade, Framingham studies have shown the importance of predetermining factors for CVD occurrence. The classical CVD risk factors such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking and family history are well established as predictors of cardiovascular events. The presence of Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) impacts negatively on expectation and quality of life of the population, being one of the main causes of disability. Many of those who become cardiovascular patients throughout their life could have had different evolution if preventive attitudes were taken. Since 50’s decade, Framingham studies have shown the importance of predetermining factors for CVD occurrence. The classical CVD risk factors such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking and family history are well established as predictors of cardiovascular events. However, in certain clinical conditions, traditional risk factors seem not to fully explain the incidence of CVD. Coronary artery disease and early atherosclerosis in young women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are one of the best examples of how chronic inflammatory diseases can affect individuals who are normally poorly exposed to traditional risk factors. Even with the plurality of extra-articular manifestations of rheumatologic diseases, such as pulmonary hypertension and SLE encephalopathy, uveitis in spondyloarthritis, or as Achalasia in scleroderma, attention is being paid to the frequent cardiovascular system involvement in these patients, especially in the vascular territory