New study reports sex differences in lupus-related premature death

Researchers have shown that women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the U.S. have an average 22-year shorter life expectancy compared to the general population, versus a 12-year average reduced life-span for men with SLE. The most common causes of death for women with SLE 50 years of age or younger, for their non-SLE female counterparts, and for men with SLE, are reported in an article published in Journal of Women's Health.

The article entitled "Impact of Sex on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-Related Causes of Premature Mortality in the United States," was coauthored by Titilola Falasinnu, PhD, Yashaar Chaichian, MD, and Julia Simard, ScD, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. The most frequent causes of death among women with SLE were septicemia and hypertension, whereas among men with SLE the most common causes were heart disease and diabetes with complications.

"This study examines the sex-based differences in the causes of death among women and men with SLE in the U.S. and identifies clinically relevant comorbidities, such as infectious diseases, that are more likely to contribute to premature death in this population," says Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health, Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA, and President of the Academy of Women's Health.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K01-AR066878. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.