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Objectives Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and it has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. We examined the contribution of MetS to inflammatory markers, arterial stiffness and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) as surrogates of subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods Cardiovascular risk factors, SLE-specific factors and peripheral blood EPCs were assessed in 50 female SLE patients. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Simultaneously, atherosclerosis was assessed by measuring the carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) by doppler velocimetry. Results Beyond the factors included in the definition, SLE patients with MetS have a significantly higher serum level of uric acid (6.88 ± 2.20 vs 4.45 ± 1.17, p < 0.001) and some inflammatory biomarkers such as homocysteine, IL-8, sICAM-1 or complement molecules. The presence of MetS in our patients was closely linked with a significantly increased patient organ damage score (3.20 ± 1.97 vs 1.60 ± 1.67, p = 0.008), a decreased percentage of circulating EPCs (0.53 ± 0.24 vs 0.85 ± 0.57, p = 0.007) and an increased arterial stiffness (9.89 ± 2.40 vs 7.13 ± 1.51, p < 0.001). Conclusions MetS may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis by significantly increasing inflammation levels and arterial stiffness and decreasing circulating EPCs. This finding would justify close monitoring of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We evaluated whether traditional or non-traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related risk factors were associated with pathological arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) adjusted for patients' age and blood pressure. Method: CV risk factors were measured in the 46 SLE female patients studied. Activity and organ damage were assessed by the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index, respectively. Other lupus-related parameters and information concerning treatment were recorded. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed by PWV calculated from pulse wave recording by Doppler, a non-invasive method to measure arterial stiffness. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent determinants of increased PWV. Results: PWV was categorized as normal or pathological arterial stiffness following the reference values adjusted by age and blood pressure recently published by the European Society of Cardiology. Pathological PWV was associated with CV risk factors including homocysteine (p = 0.01), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; p = 0.03), uric acid (p = 0.01), and metabolic syndrome (p = 0.007). With regard to SLE-specific risk factors, a significant association was found between PWV and SLICC/ACR score (p = 0.006). Multivariate analysis showed that increased PWV was independently associated with metabolic syndrome [odds ratio (OR) 6.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-38, p = 0.03] and SLICC/ACR score (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1-2.32, p = 0.05). Conclusions: We have found a close link between metabolic syndrome and SLICC/ACR score with increased aortic stiffness. These variables might be an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE women without clinical evidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our purpose was to evaluate joint hypermobility, an inherited disorder of the connective tissue significantly associated with anxiety disorders, in a sample of nonclinical students in relation to the frequency of severe fears and consumption of chocolate, coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol. One hundred fifty students completed the Hakim and Grahame Simple Questionnaire to detect hypermobility and the self-administered modified Wolpe Fear Scale (100 items). Severe fears and daily consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, and chocolate were compared with the hypermobility scores. We found significant differences when comparing severe fears between the groups with and without hypermobility (7.6 vs. 11; p = 0.001), reinforcing the hypothesis that the intensity of fears is greater in subjects with hypermobility. Only the frequency of chocolate intake was significantly higher among subjects with hypermobility (31.2% vs. 51.2%; p = 0.038) and may correspond to attempts of self-treatment of the collagen condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]