УДК 616.5-002.525.2-031.81:616.1]-06

Introduction. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease with numerous clinical manifestations and an unpredictable course. It often lasts for several months or years, with alternating remissions and exacerbations. 

Multiple organs can be affected simultaneously with varying degrees of severity, resulting in treatment- and disease-related comorbidities, including circulatory system diseases, which are one of the leading causes of death of SLE patients.
The aim of the study.To find out the nature and frequency of the circulatory system organs comorbid lesions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, to characterizethemdepending on the gender, age and the disease duration.
Materials and methods. Prior to performing the study all patients signedthe voluntary consent to participate in accordance with the requirements of Helsinki Declaration of Human Rights, the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The cohort under investigation included 112 patients with diagnosed SLE of dif-ferent severity with preliminary stratification as follows: females 89.29 %, patients of working age (57.14 % – young and 39.29 % – middle aged), unemployed(58.04 %), III disability grouppatients(45.54 %), city residents (62.50 %).According to the results of the diseaseduration assessment, a significant numberof patients with SLE and circulatory system organs comorbid lesions have been ill for 1–5 years (36.61 %) and more than 10 years (38.39 %). All of them were patients of the rheumatology department of the Communal Non-Profit Enterprise of the Lviv Regional Council "Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital" from 2016 to 2021.The research was carried out in several stages, duringwhich the nature and frequency of the circulatory system comorbid lesions with respect to gender, age and disease duration were estimated.
Results. While completingthe study, almost half of patients with SLE were diagnosed with Raynaud’s syndrome, mitral valve insufficiency and atherosclerosis, about 1/3– with myocarditis, retinal angiopathy, symptomatic arterial hypertension and livedo reticularis. Thevaricose veins of the lower extremities, hypertensive disease, diffuse cardiosclerosis, tricuspid valve insufficiency, veinthrombosis, post-thrombophlebitis syndrome, aortic valve insufficiency, capillaritis, pulmonary hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD) includingstable angina pectoris, cardiomyopathy and post-infarction cardiosclerosiswere found with the decreasing frequency. Raynaud’s syndrome was significantly more often diagnosedin femalesand young people;retinal angiopathy, livedo reticularisand symptomatic arterial hypertension – in femalesand those patients whose SLE lastedfor more than 10 years;myocarditis, varicose veins of the lower extremities – in males;capillaritis – in patients with the shortest duration of SLE;atherosclerosis and mitral valve insufficiency – in elderly patients and patients with SLE lastingfor6–10 years;veinthrombosis and stable angina – in elderly patients and those with SLElasting for more than 10 years; hypertensive disease, diffuse cardiosclerosis, aortic valve insufficiency, post-infarction cardiosclerosis werethe most characteristic for theelderly patients with SLE.
Conclusions. In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, a number of circulatory system organs comorbid lesions were found. Having studied their nature and frequency, characterizing them depending on gender, age and the disease duration, we found out the certain features that should be taken into considerationduring the screening examination of circulatory systemdisorders inpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus and providing them the
integrated care to improve their lifequality. With this in mind, systemic lupus erythematosus requires further detailed study.