What are the Risk Factors of Vasculitis?

Vasculitis Explained: Autoimmune Origins & Health Impacts

Lifestyle habits such as smoking and anti-microbial drugs could be significant risk factors for Vasculitis. Furthermore, medical conditions such as autoimmune disorders are also considered a contributing factor to Vasculitis.

What is Vasculitis?

Vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in blood vessels. Since there is swelling, smooth blood flow through those vessels becomes a challenge. As a consequence, the affected vessels cause blood clots, tissue and organ damage.

The condition is relatively uncommon in India. However, health experts believe that the complexity and diverse conditions of Vasculitis make it an under-reported, under-diagnosed condition. Older people, more than 50 years of age, are more prone to develop this rare disease.

What are the Risk Factors of Vasculitis?

According to research, the following are significant risk factors of Vasculitis:

1. Autoimmune Diseases : The symptoms of Vasculitis could develop due to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and scleroderma. The immune system of patients with such conditions starts to attack healthy blood vessels, triggering an inflammatory response.  
2. Chronic Infections : Patients suffering from chronic infections such as tuberculous or syphilitic aortitis tend to develop Vasculitis. Research states that when antigens become infectious agents, the immune complex starts to get trapped and leads to vascular injury.    
3. Medications : Side effects of medications such as Hydralazine, used for treating hypertension and Propylthiouracil, used for treating hyperthyroidism, could be risk factors for Vasculitis.
4. Blood Cancers : Blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma sometimes cause blood vessels inflammation increasing the risk of Vasculitis. This condition is associated with cancer malignancy.
5. Smoking : Smoking habit or tobacco use is often linked to Buerger’s disease, a subtype of Vasculitis. It happens because the chemicals in tobacco hurt the lining of the blood vessels and lead to several inflammatory diseases.
6. Genetic Predisposition : Genetic conditions such as Kawasaki disease, Behçet's disease, and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) are strongly associated with the risk of Vasculitides. Different genes and genetic pathways in these conditions increase the susceptibility to Vasculitis.

What are the Symptoms of Vasculitis?

Some common symptoms are as follows:

1. Coughing
2. Numbness in hands or feet
3. Difficulty breathing
4. Rashes or discolouration on the skin
5. Unexplained weight loss
6. Fever and weakness
7. Stomach ache
8. Kidney problems
9. Joint Pain

What are the Common Types of Vasculitis?

The following are some common types of Vasculitis:

1. Buerger’s Disease

Also referred to as Thromboangiitis obliterans is a health condition where small and medium-sized blood vessels of a patient’s arm and leg get blocked or inflamed. As a consequence, the reduction of blood flow damages the tissues.

Both men and women of different ages (mostly within 20 to 40 years) can develop this disease. People with peripheral arterial disease are prone to Buerger’s disease and are at risk of Vasculitis.

2. Cogan’s syndrome

It is a rare autoimmune disease that develops from an unknown pathogen. A patient suffering from Cogan’s syndrome feels irritation in their eyes and ears. It is a condition where the patient’s immune system starts to attack the tissues of the eyes and ears, damaging their vision and hearing capability.

Mainly, young adults, irrespective of gender, within the age range of 20 to 30 years, are prone to Cogan's Syndrome.

How is Vasculitis Diagnosed?

A range of physical examinations and tests are conducted to diagnose Vasculitis in patients. Based on the symptoms, healthcare experts suggest their patients opt for blood tests, biopsies and Angiograms.

How to Treat Vasculitis?

Based on the symptoms their patients have, healthcare providers treat Vasculitis. Some treatment methods are:

1. Corticosteroids : These are types of medication that treat inflammation. Healthcare providers can give these medications for oral consumption or through injections.
2. ACE Inhibitors : Patients with high blood pressure might develop symptoms of Vasculitis. Therefore, Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) used to lower blood pressure.

If you are wondering if there is any proper cure for Vasculitis, there is none. There is no proper cause for this health condition either. The treatments that are available now can only manage the symptoms. Vasculitis can recur even after being cured once. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor symptoms and keep track.

Also Read:

→ What Increases the Risk of Diabetic Foot Ulcer

→ Key Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer

→ Risk Factors Associated with Gastric Cancer

→ Risk Factors Associated with Prostate Cancer

→ Key Risk Factors for Chronic Kidney Disease