Association of Clinical Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Complementary Therapy Use in Taiwanese Female Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that affects predominantly women in the childbearing years. Patients may seek complementary therapies to manage their health and to reduce symptoms. However, to our knowledge, no studies have explored the association between clinical manifestations of SLE and complementary therapies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of complementary therapies with common clinical manifestations in Taiwanese female patients with SLE. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Outpatients from the rheumatology clinic who met the inclusion criteria were consecutively recruited. Demographic data, clinical manifestations of SLE, and types of complementary therapy use were determined using paper-based questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the use of complementary therapies associated with clinical manifestations of SLE. Results: Of the 317 female patients with SLE, 60.9% were 40 years or older. The five SLE clinical manifestations with the highest prevalence were Raynaud's phenomenon (61.2%), photosensitivity (50.2%), Sjögren's syndrome (28.4%), arthralgia and arthritis (22.1%), and renal involvement (14.5%). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that Raynaud's phenomenon was significantly associated with fitness walking or strolling (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.77; p = 0.027) and fish oil supplements (aOR 3.55, p < 0.001). Photosensitivity was significantly and inversely associated with the use of probiotics (aOR 0.49; p = 0.019). Renal involvement was significantly associated with the use of probiotics (aOR 2.43; p = 0.026) and visit to the Chinese medicine department in a hospital (aOR 3.14, p = 0.026). Conclusions: We found that different clinical manifestations of SLE were associated with the use of different complementary therapies. Health care providers should have up-to-date knowledge of common complementary therapies and be ready to provide evidence-based advice to patients with SLE.

Factors associated with the use of complementary therapies in Taiwanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and the factors associated with the regular use of complementary therapies for Taiwanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 351 patients with SLE were consecutively recruited from a regional hospital in southern Taiwan from April to August 2019. Demographic and clinical information, including the use of different types of complementary therapies, was ascertained using a self-constructed questionnaire. Disease-specific quality of life was measured using the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL) questionnaire. SLE disease activity was assessed using the rheumatologist-scored Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2 K). Factors associated with the regular use of complementary therapies were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Of the 351 patients with SLE, 90.3% were female, and 60.1% were ≥ 40 years of age. The prevalence of the regular use of any type of complementary therapy was 85.5%. The five most popular types of complementary therapy used were (1) fitness walking or strolling, (2) Buddhist prayer or attending temple, (3) vitamin consumption, (4) calcium supplementation, and (5) fish oil supplementation. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the significant and independent factors associated with the regular use of complementary therapies in patients with SLE were age ≥ 40 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.76, p = 0.013), nonoverweight or nonobesity (aOR 0.29, p = 0.004), engagement in vigorous exercise in the past year (aOR 4.62, p = 0.002), a lower SLEDAI-2 K score (aOR 0.90, p = 0.029), and a lower score in the physical health domain of the LupusQoL (aOR 0.57, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of complementary therapy use in Taiwanese patients with SLE was observed. Rheumatologists should routinely ask patients about their use of supplements to minimize the risk of interaction with medical therapy.

Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Body Constitution and Health-Related Quality of Life in Female Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) body constitution has been studied in many diseases, but few have focused on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and particularly their association with disease-specific quality of life (QoL). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of TCM body constitution and QoL in female patients with SLE. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adult female patients with a clinician-confirmed diagnosis of SLE in a regional hospital in Taiwan. TCM body constitution types were determined using the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ). Disease-specific QoL of the participants was assessed using the LupusQoL. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations between TCM body constitution types with the score of each of the eight domains of LupusQoL and between the numbers of multiple unbalanced body constitution types and score of each of the eight domains of LupusQoL. RESULTS: Of the 317 female patients with SLE, 22 (6.9%) were classified to have a gentleness balanced body constitution type. Among the remaining 295 patients with unbalanced body constitution types, Qi-deficiency was the most common (64.4%), followed by Yin-deficiency (57.6%). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that Qi-deficiency was significantly associated with the emotional, pain, and fatigue domains of the LupusQoL, whereas Yin-deficiency was significantly associated with the emotional and fatigue domains of the LupusQoL. In addition, all domains of the LupusQoL showed a general pattern of poorer QoL with increasing numbers of unbalanced body constitution types. CONCLUSIONS: Different TCM body constitution types were significantly associated with various domains of the LupusQoL. A high prevalence of multiple body constitution types in patients with SLE was observed. A consistent pattern of poorer LupusQoL with increasing numbers of unbalanced body constitution types was evident.