Into the Heart of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

Download or read book Into the Heart of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases written by Franco Franceschini and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-03-27 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Systemic autoimmune diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against various self-constituents. In specific cases, the heart and cardiovascular (CV) system are the primary organs targeted by the disease. On the other hand, several systemic autoimmune conditions are linked to enhanced atherosclerosis, with a consequently high CV morbidity and mortality rates. Persistent low-grade inflammation in the vascular wall is described to be important in the physiopathology of CV events. At first, inflammation is linked to endothelial dysfunction supporting the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells with subsequent vascular remodeling. Furthermore, the infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cells promotes a milieu of molecules that contributes to the perpetuation of inflammation itself. Although CV risk assessment should be part of routine care in patients with autoimmune diseases, no disease-specific models are currently available for this purpose. The main pillars of CV risk reduction are pharmacological and nonpharmacological management of cardiovascular CV risk factors, as well as tight control of disease activity.