Abstract
ObjectiveVisceral adipose tissue (VAT) is becoming a recognized cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. This study aimed to evaluate body composition, especially VAT, in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to explore the association between VAT and SLE disease-related factors.MethodNinety-eight inpatients with SLE and 108 age- and body mass index (BMI)–matched healthy controls were included. Demographic and clinical parameters were recorded. The VAT was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.ResultThe mean age and disease duration of patients were 46.4 ± 13.0 years and 8.0 ± 7.0 years, respectively. Patients with SLE had higher VAT volume (p = 0.0015) and mass (p = 0.0017) than controls, especially in premenopausal and postmenopausal groups. The subanalysis of subjects with BMI less than 25 kg/m2 indicated that patients had lower lean mass (p = 0.0005), fat-free mass (p = 0.0005), and fat-free mass index (p = 0.0001), but increased adiposity distribution than controls, including VAT volume and mass. However, overweight/obese patients had similar body composition with controls. The VAT volume correlated with BMI, age, menopausal status, hypertension, uric acid, creatinine, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride in both groups. In the patient group, the VAT volume correlated with disease duration, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SLICC/ACR-DI), and low serum complement, but not with SLEDAI and glucocorticoid dose.ConclusionThis study suggested that SLE patients had some traditional CV risk factors such as altered body composition and increased VAT. The higher VAT in patients with SLE was associated with traditional cardiometabolic risks, which may contribute to CV events in SLE populations.Key Points• Patients with SLE had increased VAT volume and mass than controls.• The VAT volume correlated with traditional cardiometabolic risk factors.• In SLE patient group, the VAT volume correlated with disease duration, SLICC/ACR-DI, and low serum complementC3/C4, but not with SLEDAI and glucocorticoid dose.
Highlights
Zhaoxia Li and Jingjie Shang contributed to this work.Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most complicated autoimmune diseases, and it can affect any organ and present with diverse phenotypes
We focused on body composition, especially Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), which may have an effect on the CV risk in SLE patients
Our results showed that VAT was related to traditional CV risks, such as age, body mass index (BMI), menopausal status, hypertension, serum uric acid, serum creatinine, non-HDL-C level, and serum TG level, in both patients and controls
Summary
Zhaoxia Li and Jingjie Shang contributed to this work. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most complicated autoimmune diseases, and it can affect any organ and present with diverse phenotypes. It affects women more frequently than men at a ratio of nearly 9 to 1. The prognosis of SLE patients has markedly improved due to the introduction of immunosuppressive regimens over the last decades. The 5year survival rate of SLE has exceeded 90% in recent years [1]. As life expectancy increases, subsequent complications such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) are becoming a more and more serious clinical problem
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
