Burden of systemic lupus erythematosus in Taiwan: a population-based survey.

This population-based study aimed to determine the trend of incidence, prevalence, and mortality of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a 6-year period in Taiwan. Patients with international classification of diseases ninth revision (ICD-9) code 710.0 were retrieved from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), which covered more than 96 % of the entire population, and from the Ministry of Interior between 2003 and 2008 in Taiwan. Patients with SLE registered as catastrophic illness were enrolled for analysis. The incidence rate, prevalence ratio, and mortality rate stratified by sex and age were analyzed. There were a total of 6,675 SLE patients (5,836 females and 839 in males) during the study period. The average annual incidence rate was 4.87 per 100,000 population, and the average female-to-male incidence ratio was 7.15. The ratio increased with age and peaked at the age of 40-49 years, then decreased thereafter. The incidence rate decreased by 4.2 % per year. The highest incidence rate was noted in the 20-29-year-old age group in females and the 70-79-year-old age group in males. The average prevalence and mortality rates were 97.5 and 1.2 per 100,000 population, respectively. Mortality was 3.2 % in patients diagnosed within 1 year and is more prevalent in young patients with average age of 15.6 years. Incidence rate of SLE has been declining in recent years but the prevalence rate has remained steady. The highest mortality rate is among younger patients diagnosed with SLE within 1 year.

Comorbidities of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: A 6-year nationwide population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is a systemic and complex disease that can involve multiple organs. To clarify the risk of developing associated comorbidities after a diagnosis of SLE in children, we used the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan to investigate diseases experienced in these patients. This is the first nationwide population-based study of the comorbidities of pediatric SLE patients. METHODS: The study was based on data from the NHIRD in Taiwan. Children were enrolled who were below the age of 18 years and whose disease corresponded to the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic code of 710.0 (SLE). The comorbidities associated with SLE were defined by the ICD-9-CM codes of diseases that presented after the SLE diagnosis. We analyzed the common diseases in SLE patients and compared the frequency of these diseases between pediatric SLE patients and the non-SLE population. RESULTS: From January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2008, we enrolled 904 SLE patients (774 females, 130 males). Infection (86.36%) was the most common comorbidity in pediatric SLE. Other comorbidities were musculoskeletal diseases (16.7%), cardiovascular diseases (16.37%), ocular diseases (10.73%), and renal diseases (6.75%). Children with SLE had a higher risk of heart failure, hypertension, osteoporosis, cataracts, glaucoma, dyslipidemia, seizures, encephalopathy, and malignant changes, compared to non-SLE populations. CONCLUSION: The population-based cohort demonstrated several systemic and/or chronic diseases in pediatric SLE patients in Taiwan. Children with SLE were more susceptible to these diseases, including malignancy, compared to the non-SLE population.