Dr. Graham R.V. Hughes, MD FRCP

Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on June 26, 2006 Rheumatology 2007 46(1):76-80; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kel199. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in our SLE patients carrying MBL-deficient genotypes was 3.3 times higher than in patients with non-deficient genotypes, only APS was independently associated with cardiovascular events. This suggests that the higher frequency of thrombotic events in SLE patients carrying MBL-deficient genotypes might be related to coexisting APS.

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2005 Jul;27(7):403-407

CMAJ • February 14, 2006; 174 (4). doi:10.1503/cmaj.050801. © 2006 CMA Media Inc. or its licensors

A Norwegian study does not say non-rheumatologists provide bad care. Instead, the study found that rheumatologists more often test for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and prescribe hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Treatment guidelines developed by the specialists' organization, the American College of Rheumatology, recommend both actions for many patients.

Cardiovascular disease may play a major role in the premature cognitive decline that afflicts many patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, a longitudinal study revealed. The likelihood of cognitive impairment was doubled in patients with hypertension (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.56) or a history of stroke (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.16 to 4.43), according to Sara Murray, MD, and colleagues from the University of California San Francisco. Risk was also increased in patients who had antiphospholipid antibodies, which are associated with thrombotic events, stroke, and myocardial infarction in lupus (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.41), the researchers reported in the September Arthritis Care & Research.