Heart Enlargement Measure May Predict Major Cardiac and Brain Events in People with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A new study looked at whether heart scan results can help predict serious cardiovascular or cerebrovascular (brain) events (MACCE) in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and found a connection between the weight of the heart’s left ventricle (left ventricular mass index – LVMI) and MACCE risk.  When lupus is fatal, it’s usually due to heart or blood vessel problems, kidney failure, or serious infections.

A group of 286 people with SLE and 64 healthy controls were studied over a  ten-year study period (January 2014 to December 2024), with a mean follow-up of approximately four years. Heart structure was evaluated by echocardiography (a type of heart scan), and clinical and lab results were used to assess disease activity and calculate LVMI. When compared to the healthy group, people with SLE were significantly associated with various cardiac conditions, including aortic root, right ventricular internal dimension in diastole (RVDd), interventricular septal thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular mass, LVMI, left ventricular posterior wall motion amplitude, and interventricular septal motion amplitude. Further analysis identified RVDd, LVMI and low-density lipoprotein as independent risk factors for MACCE in people with SLE. Moreover, they found an LVMI cut-off of 101.7 g/m² best predicted adverse outcomes, with 76.9% sensitivity and 64.6% specificity.

The study suggests people with SLE with higher left ventricular mass and higher LVMI may have an increased risk of major cardiac and cerebrovascular events. Learn more about lupus and the heart, lungs and blood.

Read the study