
Getting to the Heart of Cardiovascular Outcomes in Rheumatic Diseases
Although never considered to be a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, there is now increasing evidence that indeed there is a relationship between cardiovascular events and the presence of rheumatological diseases. What are rheumatological diseases? The diseases include psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. These diseases exhibit higher rates of traditional CV risk, such as hypertension, hyperlipidem


Renal Artery Induced Hypertension (Renal Artery Stenosis)
What is Renal Artery Stenosis? Although the cause of most cases of hypertension goes undiagnosed, it is estimated that 20% of hypertension may be caused by renal artery stenosis. As is seen in atherosclerotic changes in the vasculature throughout the body which causes reduced blood flow, the arteries that supply the two kidneys can also be involved in this atherosclerotic process. While the deprivation of sufficient blood flow to any part of the body will place that particul