Incidence and Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

Importance Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and psoriasis have been previously associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Whether similar increased ASCVD risk is seen with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) remains unclear. Objective To evaluate the incidence and prevalence of ASCVD among those with CLE, SLE, and psoriasis compared with a disease-free control group. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective, matched longitudinal cohort study used data from January 2018 to December 2020 in the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database. The control population included individuals free of CLE, SLE, and psoriasis, matched 10:1 with the CLE population on age, sex, insurance type, and enrollment duration. Data were analyzed from September 2022 to April 2024. Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalent ASCVD was defined as coronary artery disease, prior myocardial infarction, or cerebrovascular accident. Incident ASCVD was assessed through the number of hospitalization events through the end of follow-up (up to 3 years) in each group. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were performed to compare the prevalence and incidence of ASCVD between exposure groups, adjusting for age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors. Results A total of 8138 persons with CLE (median [IQR] age, 49 [40-47] years; 6618 [81%] female), 24 675 with SLE (median [IQR] age, 46 [36-54] years; 22 432 [91%] female), 192 577 persons with psoriasis (median [IQR] age, 48 [36-56] years; 106 631 [55%] female), and 81 380 control individuals (49 [40-57] years; 66 180 [81%] female) were identified. In multivariable analysis, the odds of ASCVD were higher than control for CLE (odds ratio [OR], 1.72 [95% CI, 1.45-2.02]; P < .001) and SLE (OR, 2.41 [95% CI, 2.14-2.70]; P < .001), but not psoriasis (OR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.95-1.11]; P = .48). At median 3 years follow-up, incidence rates of ASCVD were highest for SLE (24.8 [95% CI, 23.3-26.4] per 1000 person-years), followed by CLE (15.2 [95% CI, 13.1-17.7] per 1000 person-years), psoriasis (14.0 [95% CI, 13.5-14.4] per 1000 person-years), and then controls (10.3 [95% CI, 9.77-10.94] per 1000 person-years). In multivariable Cox proportional regression modeling with the control group as a reference group, the highest risk of incident ASCVD was in those with SLE (hazard ratio [HR], 2.23 [95% CI, 2.05-2.43]; P < .001), followed by CLE (HR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.13-1.55]; P < .001), and psoriasis (HR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.99-1.13]; P = .09). Conclusions and Relevance In this retrospective matched longitudinal cohort study, CLE was associated with an increased risk for ASCVD, similar to the risk in SLE but higher than the risk in psoriasis. The role of comorbidities that augment ASCVD risk like smoking status should be further investigated. Clinicians treating patients with CLE can consider them at increased ASCVD risk and institute appropriate screening tests.