En la investigación participaron 197 pacientes con lupus y 197 controles, y se empleó ultrasonografía para evaluar la presencia de placas de ateroma en la arteria carótida.
El riesgo de aterosclerosis fue 2,4 veces superior entre los pacientes con lupus respecto a los controles, pero la diferencia fue incluso mayor al comparar los grupos de edad más jóvenes, de manera que entre los menores de 40 años, el 13% de los pacientes con lupus presenta placa frente a sólo el 2% de los controles.
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