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Ingrid Avalos

Publications and source records attributed to Ingrid Avalos.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

High prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: association with disease characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors.

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome is an independent risk factor for ischaemic heart disease. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have accelerated atherosclerosis; however, there are no controlled studies of the metabolic syndrome in patients with SLE. OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in patients with SLE and controls and to evaluate its relationship to other cardiovascular risk factors and inflammation. METHODS: 102 patients with SLE and 101 controls were studied. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was compared in patients and controls using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions, and associations with cardiovascular risk factors and lupus characteristics were examined. RESULTS: The metabolic syndrome was present in 32.4% of patients and in 10.9% of controls subjects (p<0.001) using the WHO definition that requires direct determination of insulin resistance, and in 29.4% of patients with SLE and in 19.8% of controls (p = 0.14) using the NCEP definition. Among patients with SLE, both definitions were significantly associated with higher concentrations of C reactive protein (p = 0.001) and the NCEP definition was significantly associated with higher concentrations of homocysteine (p<0.001), lipoprotein (a) (p = 0.02) and cholesterol (p = 0.04). Neither lupus disease activity nor damage scores were associated with the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SLE have a higher prevalence of insulin resistance and consequently of the WHO-defined metabolic syndrome than controls. In patients with SLE, the metabolic syndrome was associated with higher levels of inflammation and may provide a link between inflammation and increased cardiovascular risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Utility of the Framingham risk score to predict the presence of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The prevalence of ischemic heart disease and atherosclerosis is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the general population, but not in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, the Framingham risk score identifies patients at increased cardiovascular risk and helps determine the need for preventive interventions. We examined the hypothesis that the Framingham score is increased and associated with coronary-artery atherosclerosis in patients with RA. The Framingham score and the 10-year cardiovascular risk were compared among 155 patients with RA (89 with early disease, 66 with long-standing disease) and 85 control subjects. The presence of coronary-artery calcification was determined by electron-beam computed tomography. The Framingham score was compared in patients with RA and control subjects, and the association between the risk score and coronary-artery calcification was examined in patients. Patients with long-standing RA had a higher Framingham score (14 [11 to 18]) (median [interquartile range]) compared to patients with early RA (11 [8 to 14]) or control subjects (12 [7 to 14], P < 0.001). This remained significant after adjustment for age and gender (P = 0.015). Seventy-six patients with RA had coronary calcification; their Framingham risk score was higher (14 [12 to 17]) than that of 79 patients without calcification (10 [5 to 14]) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a higher Framingham score was associated with a higher calcium score (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12 to 1.29, P < 0.001), and the association remained significant after adjustment for age and gender (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.29, P = 0.03). In conclusion, a higher Framingham risk score is independently associated with the presence of coronary calcification in patients with RA.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed2005

Increased coronary-artery atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis: relationship to disease duration and cardiovascular risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence and severity of coronary-artery atherosclerosis in patients with early and established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls. METHODS: Electron-beam computed tomography was used to measure the extent of coronary-artery calcification in 227 subjects, of whom 70 had early RA, 71 had established RA, and 86 were controls. Coronary-artery calcification calculated according to the Agatston calcium score was compared in patients and controls, and its relationship to clinical characteristics was examined. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were obtained with the use of proportional odds logistic regression models to determine independent associations of early and established RA and coronary-artery calcification. RESULTS: Calcium scores were higher in patients with established RA (median 40.2, interquartile range [IQR] 0-358.8) compared with those with early disease (median 0, IQR 0-42.6) and controls (median 0, IQR 0-19.2) (P = 0.001). Coronary-artery calcification occurred more frequently in patients with established RA (60.6%) than in patients with early RA (42.9%) and control subjects (38.4%) (P = 0.016) The OR for the likelihood of having more severe coronary-artery calcification (defined as an Agatston score >109) in patients with established disease was 3.42 (P = 0.002) after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors. Among patients with RA, smoking (OR 1.02, P = 0.04) and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (OR 1.02, P = 0.05) were associated with more severe coronary-artery calcification after adjustment for age and sex. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and severity of coronary calcification is increased in patients with established RA and is related, in part, to smoking and an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Obesity is an independent contributor to functional capacity and inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity induces a proinflammatory state and is a major cause of morbidity in the general population. However, little is known about the effects of obesity in patients with chronic inflammatory illnesses such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with SLE were studied to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and functional capacity, measures of fatigue, quality of life, and the inflammation markers C-reactive protein (CRP), the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The association between BMI and patient characteristics was determined, and multiple logistic regression models were used to adjust for age, sex, disease activity, and disease-related damage. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients had a normal BMI (< 25 kg/m(2)), 28 were overweight (25-29.9 kg/m(2)), and 39 were obese (> or =30 kg/m(2)). Obese patients had worse functional capacity, more fatigue, and higher concentrations of inflammation markers. The mean +/- SD modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (M-HAQ) score was 0.6 +/- 0.4 in obese patients compared with 0.3 +/- 0.4 and 0.2 +/- 0.3 in overweight patients and those with a normal BMI, respectively (P = 0.001). The mean +/- SD concentrations of CRP in obese patients (10.0 +/- 8.6 mg/liter) were higher than those in patients who were overweight (4.7 +/- 5.4 mg/liter) or had a normal BMI (6.2 +/- 9.9 mg/liter) (P < 0.001). Similarly, concentrations of IL-6 were higher in obese patients (P = 0.003). After adjusting for age, sex, disease activity, and damage indices, the associations between BMI and CRP (P < 0.001), M-HAQ scores (P = 0.005), and IL-6 concentrations (P = 0.01) remained significant. CONCLUSION: Obesity is independently associated with impaired functional capacity and inflammation markers in patients with lupus. Thus, weight loss may improve functional capacity and decrease cardiovascular risk factors.

Activities of Daily Living↗