People with lupus are at higher risk for developing heart disease than the general population. Several studies have shown that women with lupus have a 5-to-10-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as compared to women who don’t have lupus. In addition, African American women are three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasian women which increases their risk of developing lupus-related CVD.
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) has committed significant funds to a vital and innovative research program addressing this often serious and potentially fatal consequence of lupus.
In addition to supporting this research effort, LFA has also created three videos in which doctors talk about their research, and the importance of learning more about lupus-related CVD.
In the first video, Dr. Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow provides some insight as to why people with lupus are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Dr. Sattar moderated a session at the 2009 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting on this topic.
In the other videos, two LFA-supported investigators — Dr. James C. Oates and Dr. Betty P. Tsao — provide a brief overview of their studies.
Watch videos of the latest lupus-related heart disease research.
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