They did note there are limitations inherent in using Medicaid data, including using administrative case definitions to identify SLE prevalence and potential misclassifications of race/ethnicity. The researchers also couldn’t examine risks among those 65 years or older given dual enrollment in Medicare.
Look at Underlying Mechanism?
Dr. Barbhaiya says further research must look at underlying mechanisms to better understand how to best address these findings. For example, is there a genetic component or perhaps biomarker differences doctors could exploit? Until these questions are answered, how to intervene remains an open question.
“Increased understanding of how race and ethnicity in SLE influence cardiac disease risk may help us improve prevention strategies,” she says. “The goal is to identify patients at higher risk for cardiovascular disease early and enhance the management of CVD among SLE patients.”
Kurt Ullman has been a freelance writer for more than 30 years and a contributing writer to The Rheumatologist for 10 years.
Reference
- Barbhaiya M, Feldman CH, Guan H, et al. Race/ethnicity and cardiovascular events among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2017 Sep;69(9):1823–1831.
