JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY, vol.37, no.12, pp.2511-2515, 2010 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder resulting in multisystemic inflammatory damage. It is reported that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for 20%-30% of deaths in patients with SLE. Heart rate recovery after exercise is a function of vagal reactivation, and its impairment is an independent prognostic indicator for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The aim of our study was to evaluate the heart rate recovery index in patients with SLE.