Cardiovascular Manifestations in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Prospective Study of 100 Patients

One hundred consecutive female patients with active systemic lupus erythe matosus (SLE) were studied from the cardiovascular point of view by means of non invasive methods. Seventy percent of the cases presented some type of car diovascular anomaly. Seventy four percent of the resting electrocardiograms were abnormal as well as 72% of the M mode echocardiograms and 55% of the cardiac X ray series. The most frequent observed complications were: pericar ditis and or pericardial effusion (39%), arterial hypertension (22%), ischemic heart disease (16%), myocarditis (14%), congestive heart failure (10%), pulmo nary hypertension (9%), valvular heart disease (9%), pleural effusion (7%) and cerebro vascular accident (3%). We analized each one of these complications and found of special interest the high incidence of ischemic heart disease which is more frequent than has been hitherto reported. Ischemic heart disease was observed in two types of patients: a) Those with long term steroid therapy. In these, the mech...