Survival rate of patients with systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

<span>Background: Due to infections, cardio-vascular involvement and renal insufficiency, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus live shorter than usual. Objective: To determine the mean survival rate of SLE patients. Patients and Methods: 62 SLE patients admitted in the hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences from 1369 to 1380 were included in this study. The demographic variables, which were effective on disease survival time, evaluated. Results: Mean survival time, regardless of other descriptive variables, was 9.2±0.89 years. The cases who had skin lesions first, in comparison with those who had rheumatic signs at first, revealed lower survival rate and more morbidity. The mean survival rate of cases who received combination of corticosteroid and anti-malarial drugs, corticosteroid drugs alone, and cyclophosphamide plus anticoagulants, were 12.0, 9.5 and 8.5 years, respectively. Conclusion: The prognosis in SLE patients with early skin manifestations was poorer than those with early rheumatic presentation. Best prognosis was noted in patients who received systemic steroids in comparison to other treatment modalities.</span>