Figure 1.

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases and atherosclerosis. Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs), including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory spondyloarthropathies, and Sjögren's syndrome, are associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. This is primarily driven by chronic inflammation, an exacerbated autoimmune response, insulin resistance, and alterations in plasma lipid profiles. These lipid abnormalities are characterized by increased plasma triglycerides (TGs), the formation of small, dense LDL particles, reduced HDL cholesterol levels, and impaired HDL particle functionality (parts of the figure were obtained from https://smart.servier.com).