Autoimmune & Heart Disease

Please Take Note: Increased risk of cardiovascular disease in people with autoimmune disease – be sure to take preventative action.

A recent article in Circulation (April, 2025) highlights that people with autoimmune diseases face a higher risk of heart disease and related events. Why? Because inflammation itself is a major risk factor, among other risk factors. It’s crucial to keep a close eye on heart health and manage it properly. While diet and lifestyle changes can go a long way in reducing risk, the study showed they may not be enough for everyone.

Please be sure to get a full cardiac preventative workup, including monitoring for plaque

build-up.

Abstract P3133: Cardiovascular Health Levels and Incident Cardiovascular Event Risk in Individuals with Autoimmune Diseases, Circulation, April 2025. ahajournals.org.

Summary:

A study in Circulation (Abstract P3133) looked at how heart health affects the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with autoimmune diseases.

• Participants: The study analyzed data from 13,229 individuals diagnosed with one of 19 common autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and type 1 diabetes. They were compared to 46,609 individuals without autoimmune diseases, matched by

  age, sex, and location.researchgate.net

• Researchers found that:

  • People with autoimmune diseases have a 57% higher risk of developing CVD compared to those without autoimmune diseases.

  • Those with better overall heart health (measured by the "Life’s Essential 8" score) had a 44% lower risk of CVD than those with poor heart health.

  • Even with excellent heart health, people with autoimmune diseases still had a 31% higher risk of CVD than healthy individuals.

This highlights the importance of maintaining good heart health and closely monitoring

cardiovascular risk in people with autoimmune diseases.

My take: Individuals with autoimmune disease are at a higher risk for heart disease and should take preventative measures. It’s important to focus on optimizing Life’s Essential 8 score (see below). Healthy diet and lifestyle can make a huge difference, but may not be enough for many with autoimmune disease. People should be proactive at knowing their cholesterol, inflammatory markers, blood pressure, blood sugar trends, and other risk factors. They should also look inside their blood vessels for plaque formation with CIMT U/S, Calcium CT, or CT angio as indicated, and follow closely and manage appropriately.

For more detailed information, you can access the full abstract here: ahajournals.org.

Life’s Essential 8 Resources from the American Heart Association:

Introducing Life’s Essential 8™

It’s never too late to make better health choices. You can improve cardiovascular health

by adhering to the eight components of Life’s Essential 8:

1. Eat a healthy diet consistent with American Heart Association recommendations.

2. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity (or a combination of both) each week.

3. Don’t smoke, vape or use other tobacco products and avoid second-hand smoke.

4. Aim for an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day.

5. Reach and maintain a healthy body weight (body mass index less than 25kg/m2).

6. Get your cholesterol checked and talk to your health care professional about your numbers and how they impact your overall risk.

7. Keep fasting blood sugar less than 100 mg/dL or an A1C of less than 5.7%.

8. Keep blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg.

Read more about it from the AHA here:

https://www.heart.org/en/-/media/Healthy-Living-Files/Well-being-Works-Better/my_life_check_brochure.pdf?sc_lang=en