Clinical characteristics of study subjects.
| SLE Patients | Controls | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Variables | (n = 50) | (n = 50) | |
| Age, yrs | 45.7 ± 8.8 | 47.7 ± 4.8 | 0.15 |
| Female, % (n) | 92 (46) | 80 (40) | 0.15 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 120.1 ± 16.3 | 120.3 ± 12.6 | 0.26 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 75.5 ± 8.2 | 75.9 ± 9.7 | 0.46 |
| Body-mass index kg/m2 | 22.4 ± 3.7 | 23.0 ± 3.0 | 0.40 |
| Menopause, % (n) | 32 (16) | 34 (17) | 0.09 |
| Medical history | |||
| Hormone replacement therapy, % (n) | 26 (13) | 80 (40) | 0.06 |
| Oral contraceptive, % (n) | 10 (5) | 0 (0) | 0.06 |
| Current smoker, % (n) | 8 (4) | 10 (5) | 1.00 |
| Hypertension, % (n) | 20 (10) | 14 (7) | 0.60 |
| Diabetes, % (n) | 4 (2) | 2 (1) | 1.00 |
| Hypercholesterolemia, % (n) | 8 (4) | 12 (6) | 0.74 |
| Thyroid disease, % (n) | 8 (4) | 8 (4) | 1.00 |
| Family history | |||
| SLE, % (n) | 22 (11) | 0 (0) | 0.001 |
| Coronary artery disease, % (n) | 8 (4) | 12 (6) | 0.74 |
| Hypertension, % (n) | 22 (11) | 34 (17) | 0.27 |
| Diabetes, % (n) | 16 (8) | 22 (11) | 0.61 |
| Serum lipid profile and renal function | |||
| Total cholesterol, mmol/l | 4.7 ± 1.2 | 4.9 ± 0.6 | 0.20 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/l | 1.1 ± 0.5 | 1.2 ± 0.6 | 0.47 |
| High-density lipoprotein, mmol/l | 1.5 ± 0.4 | 1.6 ± 0.5 | 0.10 |
| Low-density lipoprotein, mmol/l | 2.5 ± 0.9 | 2.7 ± 0.6 | 0.21 |
| Urea, mmol/l | 4.9 ± 1.3 | 4.9 ± 0.9 | 0.87 |
| Creatinine, μmol/l | 66.9 ± 20.9 | 66.5 ± 14.1 | 0.87 |
SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus.