Associated factors and impact of myocarditis in patients with SLE from LUMINA, a multiethnic US cohort

OBJECTIVE: To examine the factors associated with myocarditis and its impact on disease outcomes in SLE patients. METHODS: SLE patients aged > or = 16 yrs, disease duration or = 5 yrs disease; however, myocarditis was not retained in the Cox proportional hazards regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Ethnicity and disease activity at diagnosis were associated with the occurrence of myocarditis in SLE. Myocarditis did not significantly impact on disease activity over time, but impacts some on damage accrual and survival, reflecting overall the more severe disease those patients experience.