High cardiovascular risk in mixed connective tissue disease: evaluation of macrovascular involvement and its predictors by aortic pulse wave velocity

Macrovascular involvement and cardiovascular (CV) risk has not been sufficiently studied in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). In particular, the gold standard assessment method of aortic stiffness carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) has never been evaluated in patients with this disease. The aims of the present study were therefore to examine cfPWV in MCTD and to evaluate its associations with MCTD-associated markers and traditional CV risk factors.