Table 1

Characteristics and traditional cardiovascular risk factors in patients with SLE (n=129) with and without history of adverse pregnancy outcomes*

Characteristics/CVD risk factors at baseline SOLVABLE visitPatients with adverse pregnancy outcomes
n=56
Patients with no adverse pregnancy
outcomes
n=73
p Value
Demographics
 Age (years, mean±SD)44.5±9.744.4±9.70.948
 Age at menopause (years, mean±SD)37.4±8.943.8±6.90.005
Traditional CVD risk factors
 Body mass index, kg/m2, mean±SD29.4±8.527.7±7.40.225
 Waist-hip ratio, mean±SD0.86±0.120.86±0.160.713
 Hypertension†, n (%)37 (66.1)34 (46.6)0.027
 Hypercholesterolaemia†, n (%)17 (30.4)21 (28.8)0.844
 Diabetes†, n (%)8 (14.3)4 (5.5)0.088
 Current smoker, n (%)10 (17.9)8 (11.0)0.109
 Family history of MI, n (%)23 (41.1)28 (38.4)0.957
 Total cholesterol, mg/dL, mean±SD188.3±41.3191.8±36.70.602
 LDLc, mg/dL, mean±SD105.6±30.4112.0±32.80.263
 HDLc, mg/dL, mean±SD54.9±16.655.8±14.50.727
 Triglycerides, mg/dL, mean±SD141.0±99.2124.1±75.60.276
 Median (IQR)110.5 (83.3, 172.5)102 (81.5, 151)0.287
SLE characteristics
 SLE disease duration, years, mean±SD13.2±8.611.4±7.40.204
 Current CS use, n (%)30 (53.6)29 (39.7)0.118
 CS use ever, n (%)46 (82.1)53 (72.6)0.176
 Duration of CS use, years, mean±SD8.5±7.76.9±5.90.253
 Current HCQ use, n (%)37 (66.1)53 (72.6)0.423
 Current immunosuppressant use‡, n (%)23 (41.1)19 (26.0)0.71
 Immunosuppressant‡ use ever, n (%)28 (50)35 (47.9)0.817
 SLICC-DI, mean±SD2.1±1.81.4±1.70.042
 Median (IQR)2 (0.25, 3)1 (0,2)0.032
 SLEDAI, mean±SD4.8±4.33.8±3.50.145
 Median (IQR)4 (2, 6)4 (0.5, 6)0.184
 Renal disease§, n (%)16 (28.6)21 (28.8)0.981
 Anti-phospholipid status¶, n (%)12 (21.8)22 (30.1)0.292
Inflammatory markers
 CRP, median (IQR)1.6 (0.6–6.2)1.2 (0.5–5.1)0.277
 HCY, mean±SD13.0±8.311.1±3.90.082
 ICAM, mean±SD270.2±150.9292.3±96.80.317
 VCAM, mean±SD1087.7±671.01038.2±48.50.630
 E-selectin, mean±SD69.7±30.165.8±35.30.515
  • Data presented as mean±SD for normally distributed continuous variables, median (IQR) for skewed continuous variables, and n (%) for categorical variables.

  • *Adverse pregnancy outcomes include pre-eclampsia, low birthweight infants or preterm birth.

  • †Hypertension present if any of the following: self-reported history of hypertension, systolic blood pressure>140, diastolic blood pressure>90, or taking antihypertensive medications; present if any of the following: self-reported history of high cholesterol or taking cholesterol lowering medications; diabetes present if self-reported history of diabetes or fasting glucose >126 mg/dL.

  • ‡Immunosuppressants included: cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, ciclosporin and tacrolimus.

  • §Renal disease was defined as being present if the subject had fulfilled ACR classification criteria for lupus renal involvement or renal biopsy with WHO Class IIb, III, IV or V lupus nephritis.

  • ¶Anti-phospholipid status included any one of the following positive at the study visit: anticardiolipin antibody IgG or IgM isotype or lupus anticoagulant.

  • ACR, American College of Rheumatology; CRP, C reactive protein; CS, corticosteroid; CVD, cardiovascular disease; HCQ, hydroxychloroquine; HCY, homocysteine; HDLc, high density lipoprotein cholesterol; ICAM, intracellular adhesion molecule; LDLc, low density lipoprotein cholesterol; MI, myocardial infarction; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; SLEDAI, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index; SLICC-DI, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index; VCAM, vascular cell adhesion molecule; SOLVABLE, Study of Long-term Vascular and Bone Outcomes in Lupus Erythematosus.