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Autoimmune diseases and heart disease are more connected than most clinicians realize. Dr. Brittany Weber of UT Southwestern is leading the charge with the first cardio-rheumatology and cardio-dermatology program in the U.S., highlighting that patients with conditions like psoriasis and lupus face elevated cardiovascular risk — often starting in adolescence — and that multidisciplinary care is urgently needed.
Inflammation is the common thread linking cardiology, dermatology, and rheumatology — and a new subspecialty is emerging to address it. Dr. Brittany Weber of UT Southwestern Medical Center, speaking at the Cardiometabolic Health Congress, highlighted that autoimmune diseases (which disproportionately affect women) significantly raise the risk of cardiovascular events and worsen coronary atherosclerosis. The CV impact, she noted, goes well beyond plaque buildup — it's driven by a dysregulated immune system.
What makes this especially urgent is timing. CV risk in autoimmune patients can begin as early as adolescence, yet standard risk calculators don't kick in until age 40 and fail to account for autoimmune disease as a risk factor at all. Conditions like psoriasis and lupus are also linked to coronary microvascular dysfunction, which raises the risk of death, MI, and heart failure — even in asymptomatic patients.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: As the first cardio-rheumatology and cardio-dermatology program in the U.S. takes shape, this emerging subspecialty signals a broader shift toward integrated, inflammation-aware cardiovascular care — one that could meaningfully reduce heart disease risk in millions of autoimmune patients who are currently falling through the cracks.
