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Background: We aimed to compare the prevalence of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in Hispanic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients versus healthy controls. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study included 46 SLE patients who fulfilled the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism and American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) classification criteria for SLE and with age ≥ 18 years. For comparison, we included a control group with 46 non-SLE subjects matched by age (±5 years) and gender. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed on every participant. The echocardiographic measurements evaluated were left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), relative wall thickness (RWT), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Left ventricular-Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS) was evaluated, and a value higher than −18% was classified as subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Comparisons between groups were made using the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for qualitative variables, and Student's t-test or the Mann–Whitney's U test for quantitative variables. A p-value <.05 was considered significant. Results: We found a significant difference in the presence of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction between SLE-patients and controls (37.0% vs 8.7%, p =.001). We also found that SLE patients had a lower left ventricular GLS (−18.90% vs −20.51%, p =.011), TAPSE (21.63 mm vs 23.60 mm, p =.009), and LVEF (57.17% vs 62.47%, p = <.001) than controls. Systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis was independently associated with the presence of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction with an OR of 6.068 (CI 95% 1.675−21.987) (p =.006). Subclinical systolic dysfunction was more common in men (29.4% vs 3.4%, p =.020), patients with obesity (17.6% vs 0%, p =.045), or hypertension (47.1% vs 6.9%, p =.001). Conclusion: Systemic lupus erythematosus Hispanic patients had a higher prevalence of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and worse left ventricular GLS, LVEF, and TAPSE values than matched healthy controls. Additionally, we found that male gender, obesity, and hypertension are associated with the presence of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in SLE patients. The inclusion of speckle tracking echocardiography as part of the cardiovascular evaluation of SLE patients may help identify high cardiovascular risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in the International Journal of Dermatology found that obesity is associated with higher nail psoriasis disease activity and prevalence in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The study compared 41 obese PsA patients with 41 non-obese PsA patients and found that obese patients had a higher prevalence of nail psoriasis and increased disease activity. The study also found a moderate correlation between body mass index (BMI) and nail psoriasis severity. The findings suggest that managing obesity could help lower the burden of nail disease and cardiovascular risk in patients with psoriatic disease. [Extracted from the article]