Mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A meta-analysis of overall and cause-specific effects

Abstract

Objectives: Our objective was to assess the overall and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) among patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: An exhaustive systematic review was undertaken, encompassing studies that scrutinized SMRs, both overall and for specific causes, in patients diagnosed with SLE compared to the general populace. The databases of PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane were meticulously searched to collate relevant literature. Following this comprehensive search, a meta-analysis was executed to methodically assess all-cause, sex-specific, ethnicity-specific, and cause-specific SMRs in individuals with SLE. Results: The inclusion criteria were met by 29 studies encompassing 72,342 patients with SLE and documenting 7352 deaths. The meta-analysis disclosed a pronounced 2.87-fold elevation in the SMR for all-cause mortality in SLE patients relative to the general population (SMR, 2.866; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.490–3.242; p