Table I.
Potential Imaging and Vascular Function Screening tools for CVD in SLE
| Tool | Measures | Abnormal in SLE |
|---|---|---|
| US for CIMT and carotid plaque (78) (85) | Carotid artery intima media thickness, subclinical atherosclerosis; association with coronary atherosclerosis | x |
| Flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) (79, 80) | Non-invasive method to evaluate endothelial dysfunction in conduit vessels | x |
| Reactive hyperemia- peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) (79, 80) | Non-invasive method to evaluate endothelial dysfunction in microvessels. Associates with coronary involvement | ? |
| (18)FDG PET CT or MRI(84) | Quantifies uptake by inflammatory cells in the aortic tree. | ? |
| Pulse wave velocity (PWV)(42, 86) | Non invasive measure of arterial stiffness, but depends on blood pressure; associates with CV risk. | x |
| Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI)(87) | Non-invasive measure of arterial stiffness, independent of blood pressure; associates with coronary abnormalities. | ? |