EARLY VASCULAR AGEING IN NORMOTENSIVE SUBJECTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS. COMPARISON WITH YOUNG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Objective: Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), is one of the most important markers of vascular aging. It is well known that connective tissue diseases are associated with accelerated atherosclerosis, but only a few data are available about aPWV in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to evaluate early vascular aging, assessed by measuring aPWV, in a group of normotensive patients with SLE and to compare these subjects with a group of young essential hypertensive (EH) individuals Design and method: Crosssectional study. We have enrolled 39 normotensive SLE subjects (mean age: 38.7±8.3 years) matched for age with a group of essential hypertensive patients (mean age 38.7±9.8 years). Each patient underwent aPWV measurement through an oscillometric device (Arteriograph).