Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an auto-immune condition, multisystem, connective tissue disorder with a wide spectrum of disease (D'Cruz et al 2007), which includes cardiovascular manifestations. It is a condition which primarily affects females with a predominance of 10:1. The peak onset is between 18 and 40 years of age. The incidence is reported to be higher amongst Asian and African ethnic groups. In the UK, the incidence is 3.8 per 100 000 per year, with a prevalence of 26.2 per 100 000. The incidence among the white UK population is 3.0 per 100 000 per year, whereas it is 10.0 among Asians and 21.89 among the Afro-Caribbean population, the highest of any population studied so far (Danchenko 2006). No clear aetiology has been identified, and the genetics are complex.