Table 1

Baseline clinical characteristics, biochemical assessments and cardiovascular risk factors

Mean (SD) or %Range
Number of patients (n)101
Women (%)94.1
Age at entry (years)41.5 (11.7)19–76
Age at diagnosis (years)29.3 (10.4)11–66
SLE duration (years)12.2 (6.5)0.5–37.9
SLAM score at entry3.8 (2.8)0–15
SLICC/ACR/SDI at entry1.15 (1.60)0–8
Katz severity index3.02 (2.14)0–9
Antiaggregants, current use (%)20.8
Anticoagulants, current use (%)9.9
Antihypertensive agents, current use (%)48.0
Antihypolipidaemic drugs (statins), current use (%)27.7
Antimalarials, current use (%)86.1
Corticoids, current use (%)59.4
Corticoid use anytime (magnitude of exposure) (%)87.1
 <15 mg prednisone per day22.5
 16–39 mg prednisone per day10.8
 >40 mg once or 16–39 at least twice per day29.4
 Methylprednisolone pulse or >40 mg at least twice per day24.5
Immunosuppressant use (anytime) (%)43.6
Cyclophosphamide use (anytime) (%)21.8
Methotrexate, current use (%)4
Diabetes (%)4
Postmenopausal (%)36.6
Sedentary lifestyle (%)30.7
Hypertension (%)38.6
Chronic renal failure (%)4
Family history of cardiovascular disease (%)23.8
Smokers (%)*27.7
Body mass index (kg/m2)26.5 (5.5)17.5–42.0
Waist to hip ratio (n=97)0.89 (0.07)0.6–1.12
Creatinine (mg/dl)0.73 (0.16)0.5–1.39
hsCRP (mg/l) (n=97)7.24 (12.03)0–67.5
Antiphospholipid antibodies (%)24.8
Double-stranded DNA antibodies (%)69.3
LDL (mg/dl) (n=90)108.1 (35.1)32–219
Lipoprotein (a) (mg/dl) (n=79)20.8 (27.2)0–158
Homocysteine (μmol/dl) (n=99)15.2 (5.3)7.7–38.8
Interleukin 6 (pg/ml)6.6 (8.7)0.5–40.7
C3 (mg/dl)91.5 (21.4)34.8–159
C4 (mg/dl)17.0 (8.1)3.2–42.8
C3a (ng/ml) (n=95)16.9 (10.9)0–62
C4a (ng/ml) (n=96)2019.8 (1654.3)112–5000
C5a (ng/ml) (n=96)635.0 (235.7)160.8–1245.8
  • N is shown when values for the variables are missing.

  • * Smoker, current or in the previous 15 years.

  • Antiphospholipid antibodies: defined as the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (IgM or IgG twice) or the presence of lupus anticoagulant.

  • Double-stranded DNA antibodies at least once.

  • hsCRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; LDL, low density lipoproteins; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; SLAM, systemic lupus activity measure; SLICC/ACR/SDI, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index.