Chronic inflammatory disorders like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis are associated with worse outcomes in ischemic heart disease. However, there is a paucity of data regarding outcomes in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with concomitant SLE. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical features and in-hospital outcomes of PAD in patients with and without SLE from the general population using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample database. We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 520,665 patients diagnosed with PAD from quarter 4 of 2015 to 2017. The primary endpoint was risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality. Of the total patient population, 3080 patients (0.6%) had SLE compared with 517,585 controls (99.4%). The observed in-hospital mortality was higher in patients with SLE (6.3% vs. 4.6%, P < 0.001). To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study investigating the impact of SLE in patients with PAD. Our analysis showed higher in-hospital mortality in SLE patients than in those without SLE. Early diagnosis and aggressive management of SLE and its complications in these patients have the potential to improve overall outcomes.
Keywords: Cardiovascular; in-hospital; peripheral artery disease; systemic lupus erythematosus.
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