- Posted January 15, 2025
People With Lupus Are At Risk for This Type of Heart Disease
People with lupus-related skin problems are more likely to develop heart disease associated with hardening of the arteries.
Lupus patients with skin symptoms are 72% more likely to develop atherosclerotic heart disease, in which arteries become clogged and less flexible, researchers reported in a new study published recently in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
Lupus “was associated with an increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, potentially warranting appropriate screening tests and clinician referrals,” concluded the research team led by Dr. Henry Chen, a dermatology resident with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation throughout the body, damaging the skin, joints and organs.
The most common type of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus, has previously been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, researchers said in background notes.
But it’s not been clear whether people with cutaneous lupus, which only affects the skin, shared the same heart health risks as systemic lupus, researchers said.
Cutaneous lupus has previously been seen as just a skin disorder, but prior studies have found increased risks of metabolic syndrome and cancer with the disease.
For the study, researchers compared more than 8,100 people with cutaneous lupus against nearly 25,000 people with systemic lupus, more than 192,500 people with psoriasis, and nearly 81,400 healthy, disease-free folks.
Data on all the groups came from an insurance claims database and ran from 2018 to 2020.
Results showed that systemic lupus carries the greatest risk for heart health, more than doubling a person’s risk of heart disease compared to the healthy control group.
But cutaneous lupus also increased risk of heart disease by 72%, researchers found.
“Clinicians caring for persons with (cutaneous lupus) can counsel patients regarding the importance of a heart-healthy lifestyle including diet, exercise, and smoking avoidance,” the research team concluded.
“Regular monitoring of blood pressure and cholesterol and prompt treatment can also be recommended to this population."
More information
The National Institutes of Health has more on lupus.
SOURCE: UT Southwestern Medical Center, news release
