Predictors of cardiovascular complications in patients with Takayasu’s arteritis: results of a retrospective study and analysis of autopsy materials

Abstract

Aim . To evaluate the structure and predictors of vascular complications in Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) patients. Material and methods. Overall 183 TA patients have been treated at the Sverdlovsk Regional Clinical Hospital № 1 during the period from 1979 to 2018. Besides, the results of 22 autopsies performed at the Sverdlovsk State Laboratory of Clinical Pathology at the same period of time. Results. Retrospective analysis revealed that 72 of 183 TA patients had vascular complications. Predictors of vascular complications were: male gender (p=0,002), smoking (p=0,002), surgical intervention before the event (p=0,002), arterial hypertension at the disease onset (p=0,011), signs of coronaritis at the disease onset (p<0,001), headache at the disease onset (p=0,028). Autopsy data revealed 17 cases (77%) of arterial and veins thrombosis. Vascular events were the main cause of death in 82% of lethal cases. According to autopsy data, 21 patients (96%) had atherosclerotic lesions of arterial wall (spots, stripes, plaques) combined with TA specific lesions. Conclusion. TA patients are a high-risk group of severe and potentially lethal cardiovascular events and require thorough attention to prophylactic measures.