A new study in the Cardiology Journal sheds light on the association between kidney function and vascular health in women diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), both of which are known to increase cardiovascular risk. Despite established links between these autoimmune disorders and atherosclerosis, the underlying mechanisms remain only partly understood.
In this prospective cross-sectional study, 60 women with SLE and/or APS underwent advanced non-invasive vascular assessments, including carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index adjusted to 75 beats per minute (AI@75). These measures serve as indicators of arterial stiffness, a key factor in cardiovascular risk. Alongside, renal function markers such as urea, creatinine, uric acid, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were also evaluated.
The findings revealed significant correlations between renal markers and arterial stiffness. Urea levels correlated positively with both AI@75 and PWV, suggesting a link between even mild renal dysfunction and vascular remodeling. After adjusting for age, body mass index, and blood pressure, urea (B = 0.722, p < 0.001), uric acid (B = 4.932, p = 0.03), and creatinine (B = 3.367 per 0.1 mg/dL increase, p = 0.004) were all significantly associated with increased AI@75. In contrast, higher eGFR was associated with lower arterial stiffness (B = -0.318, p = 0.02).