Rheumatology: Current Research
Open Access

Abstract

Atherosclerosis and Rheumatic Diseases

Maya Mattar, Bochra Jandali, Charles J Malemud and Ali D Askari

Until recently, patients with chronic autoimmune diseases were dying at a young age from their disease. However, with the emergence of biologic drugs and disease-targeted therapies, longevity in this patient population has increased. In addition, physicians have become more aware of the long-term sequelae of chronic inflammation focusing mainly on the development of premature atherosclerosis. In this review we will systematically analyze the most relevant published papers for the PubMed Central database and other validated-internet sources that have relevance to the role that atherosclerosis plays in several autoimmune diseases including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). We also examined the effects of disease modifying agents on the development of atherosclerosis in patients with autoimmune diseases as well as identifying strategies or interventions which can prevent or retard the development of cardiovascular disease in these patients.