Unraveling Cardiovascular Disease in Autoimmune Disorders

Mariana Kaplan, M.D., joined NIAMS as Chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch in 2013. She is also Deputy Scientific Director at NIAMS. Before her appointment, she was a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Kaplan obtained her medical degree at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and did her Internal Medicine Residency at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition in Mexico City. Dr. Kaplan did her Rheumatology Fellowship and postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan, where she was a member of the faculty for 15 years and an active member of their Multidisciplinary Lupus Clinic. Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases exhibit a significantly enhanced risk to develop premature heart attacks and strokes. The mechanisms implicated in this complication, as well as preventive and treatment strategies, have been incompletely characterized. This lecture will address the scope of the problem, the putative pathogenic pathways leading to premature vascular disease in autoimmunity and discuss potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic methods.
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