Low 25(OH)D levels were found to be associated with increased IR in nondiabetic women with SLE independently of BMI. Low 25(OH)D levels, but not IR, could be associated with increased arterial stiffness in these patients.
Resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with arterial stiffness, inflammation, and cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality in the general population and in patients at high CV risk. We assessed the association of RHR with arterial stiffness and low-grade inflammation (LGI) in a cross-sectional study that included 101 women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without a history of CV disease or arrhythmia or who were under treatment that may cause bradycardia. Pulse wave velocity (PWV; a measure of arterial stiffness), RHR, and markers of LGI (ie, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment index) were measured. The patients with the highest RHR (quartile 4; mean RHR = 87.2 bpm) had a PWV 0.61 m/s (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08-1.14; P = .024) greater than patients with the lowest RHR (quartile 1; RHR = 63.0 bpm), independent of age, systolic blood pressure, disease activity, smoking, and being physically inactive. Similarly, patients with the highest RHR (quartile 4) showed a significantly less favorable clustered LGI index than patients in quartile 1 ( b = .58; 95% CI: 0.212-0.948; P = .002). Higher RHR is associated with greater arterial stiffness and LGI in women with SLE. Further research to determine the prognostic value of RHR in this population is warranted.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.