Table 3

Association of common risk factors at inclusion and follow-up with carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT) over 7 years in patients with SLE and controls

Effect of risk factors at inclusionEffect of risk factors at follow-up
Beta coefficient (95% CI)P valueBeta coefficient (95% CI)P value
Systolic blood pressure
 SLE Model 10.0014 (0.0004 to 0.0025)0.008*0.0006 (−0.0005 to 0.0016)0.3
 Model 20.0015 (0.0003 to 0.0026)0.013†NS
 Controls Model 10.0011 (−0.001 to 0.0022)0.0520.0007 (−0.0003 to 0.0017)
 Model 20.0010 (−0.0002 to 0.0021)0.102NS0.1
Diastolic blood pressure
 SLE Model 10.0016 (0.0001 to 0.0031)0.0470.0005 (−0.0013 to 0.0024)0.6
 Model 20.0016 (0.0 to 0.0033)0.061NS
 Controls Model 10.0001 (−0.002 to 0.0019)0.9−0.0012 (−0.0032 to 0.0008)0.3
Total cholesterol
 SLE Model 1−0.0018 (−0.0203 to 0.0167)0.8−0.0059 (−0.0248 to 0.0129)0.5
 Controls Model 1−0.0089 (−0.0295 to 0.0117)0.40.0191 (−0.0027 to 0.0409)0.085
 Model 2NS0.0236 (0.0002 to 0.0475)0.052
LDL-cholesterol
 SLE Model 10.0060 (−0.0170 to 0.0293)0.60.0042 (−0.0187 to 0.0270)0.7
 Controls Model 10.0001 (−0.0235 to 0.0253)0.90.0117 (−0.0101 to 0.0335)0.3
HDL-cholesterol
 SLE Model 1−0.0573 (−0.9889 to −0.0158)0.007*−0.0850 (−0.1292 to −0.0408)<0.001*
 Model 2−0.0598 (−0.1026 to −0.0171)0.007†−0.0922 (−0.1421 to −0.0424)<0.001†
 Controls Model 1−0.0401 (−0.0729 to −0.0075)0.017*−0.0481 (−0.0921 to −0.0041)0.033*
 Model 2−0.0359 (−0.0707 to −0.0011)0.043−0.0573 (−0.1042 to −0.0103)0.018†
TC:HDL ratio
 SLE Model 10.0272 (0.0094 to 0.0450)0.003*0.0245 (0.0056 to 0.0434)0.012*
 Model 20.0312 (0.0140 to 0.0483)0.001†0.0277 (0.0080 to 0.0473)0.006†
 Controls Model 10.0156 (−0.0067 to 0.0378)0.20.0090 (−0.0129 to 0.0310)0.4
LDL:HDL ratio
 SLE Model 10.0336 (0.0105 to 0.0567)0.005*0.0277 (0.0040 to 0.0514)0.023*
 Model 20.0402 (0.0179 to 0.0625)0.001†0.0316 (0.0072 to 0.0560)0.012†
 Controls Model 10.0169 (−0.0095 to 0.0434)0.20.0079 (−0.0166 to 0.0325)0.5
Triglycerides
 SLE Model 10.0431 (0.0067 to 0.0797)0.021*0.0276 (−0.0049 to 0.0600)0.095
 Model 20.0400 (0.0033 to 0.0767)0.033†0.0318 (−0.0043 to 0.0679)0.083
 Controls Model 1−0.0221 (−0.0692 to 0.0251)0.40.0211 (−0.0268 to 0.0689)0.4
BMI
 SLE Model 10.0041 (−0.0003 to 0.0086)0.0640.0023 (−0.0014 to 0.0060)0.2
 Model 20.0029 (−0.0018 to 0.0077)0.2NS
 Controls Model 10.0022 (−0.0026 to 0.0070)0.40.0008 (−0.0038 to 0.0055)0.7
Smoking ever vs never
 SLE Model 10.0056 (−0.0351 to 0.0463)0.80.0092 (−0.0322 to 0.0507)0.7
 Controls Model 10.0127 (−0.0275 to 0.0259)0.50.0125 (−0.0290 to 0.0539)0.6
Hypertension
 SLE Model 10.0527 (0.0125 to 0.0928)0.011*0.0452 (−0.0004 to 0.0909)0.052
 Model 20.0404 (−0.0030 to 0.0838)0.0670.0579 (0.0092 to 0.1066)0.020†
 Controls Model 10.0083 (−0.0403 to 0.0570)0.70.0027 (−0.0406 to 0.0460)0.9
Diabetes mellitus
 SLE Model 10.0735 (−0.0502 to 0.1972)0.20.0089 (−0.0622 to 0.0801)0.8
 Controls Model 10.0137 (−0.1111 to 0.1385)0.80.0138 (−0.0893 to 0.1170)0.8
Dyslipidaemia
 SLE Model 10.0362 (−0.0050 to 0.0773)0.0840.0624 (0.0201 to 0.1048)0.004
 Model 20.0506 (0.0084 to 0.0928)0.019†0.0788 (0.0328 to 0.1249)0.001†
 Controls Model 10.0501 (0.0010 to 0.0903)0.015*0.0228 (−0.0186 to 0.0643)0.3
 Model 20.0536 (0.0125 to 0.0947)0.011†NS
Obesity
 SLE Model 10.0368 (−0.0209 to 0.0945)0.20.0379 (−0.0102 to 0.0859)0.1
 Controls Model 10.0404 (−0.0271 to 0.1079)0.20.0181 (−0.0351 to 0.0712)0.5
Family history of CV disease
 SLE Model 10.0017 (−0.0428 to 0.0462)0.90.0040 (−0.0392 to 0.0471)0.9
 Controls Model 10.0281 (−0.0155 to 0.0718)0.20.0383 (−0.0076 to 0.0774)0.068
 Model 2NS0.0368 (−0.0005 to 0.0783)0.081†
Carotid plaque at inclusion
 SLE Model 10.0949 (0.0588 to 0.1331)<0.001
 Model 20.0756 (0.0353 to 0.1158)<0.001†
 Controls Model 10.0583 (0.0116 to 0.1050)0.015
 Model 20.0667 (0.0221 to 0.1114)0.004†
  • Presented results of beta coefficients with 95% CI are based on mixed linear regression models with two measurements of mean cIMT overtime as response.

  • Model 1 was adjusted for age and sex.

  • Model 2 was run only for the variables with p value <0.1 in model 1, and included, in addition to age and sex, traditional CV risk factors as ever smoking, hypertension (or systolic/diastolic blood pressure if indicated by analysis), diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia (or blood lipids if indicated by analysis), BMI, family history of CV disease and interaction terms of tested independent variables by assessment visit.

  • Results indicated as NS if p value >0.10 in model 2.

  • *P value <0.05 withal by additional adjustment for medication prescription at inclusion or follow-up, if indicated.

  • †P value <0.05 withal by additional adjustment for history of atherosclerotic CV event.

  • BMI, body mass index; CV, cardiovascular; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; NS, not significant; TC, total cholesterol.