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TOPLINE
In a meta-analysis, the incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) peaked among women in their 30s and among men in their 60s. Other notable age-, sex-, and ethnicity-specific patterns were also reported.
METHODOLOGY
- Researchers conducted a meta-analysis using data from six CDC-supported population-based SLE registries to estimate the age-specific incidence of SLE overall and by sex, race, and ethnicity.
- They included 1281 patients with incident SLE who met the 1997 revised American College of Rheumatology classification criteria across five state-based registries between 2002 and 2018.
- A sixth registry, covering the American Indian/Alaska Native population, was analyzed separately and included only in race- and ethnicity-specific estimates among women.
- The pooled age-specific incidence of SLE per 100,000 person-years was stratified by sex, race, and ethnicity, with age groups classified as 0-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 years or older.
TAKEAWAY
- The overall incidence of SLE was 5.2 per 100,000 person-years, with rates of 8.7 per 100,000 person-years among women and 1.4 per 100,000 person-years among men.
- Among women, the incidence was highest for those aged 30-39 years (12.7 per 100,000 person-years). Among men, the incidence peaked at ages of 60-69 years (2.1 per 100,000 person-years).
- Among women, Black women aged 20-39 years had the highest incidence of SLE (23.6 per 100,000 person-years). Asian women had the highest incidence before the age of 20 years (6.5 per 100,000 person-years), and American Indian/Alaska Native women had the highest incidence after the age of 60 years (9.4 per 100,000 person-years).
- Age distribution showed that 10.0% of cases were diagnosed before the age of 20 years, 22.1% were diagnosed at ages of 30-39 years (the largest proportion), and 15.1% were diagnosed at or after the age of 60 years.
IN PRACTICE
"The identification of a later peak in age at diagnosis among men, together with the substantial burden of late diagnosis of SLE overall, highlights the need to consider age and sex jointly in epidemiologic studies and clinical evaluation of SLE," the authors of the study wrote.
SOURCE
The study was led by Peter M. Izmirly, MD, MSc, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City. It was published online on August 24, 2026, in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
LIMITATIONS
Substantial heterogeneity was found across registries. The registries missed about 10%-15% of patients with SLE, which may have underestimated the incidence. Problems with healthcare access may have led to missed or delayed diagnoses and biased age-specific estimates.
DISCLOSURES
The analysis received support through cooperative agreements between the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and New York University Grossman School of Medicine and between the CDC and multiple institutions, including New York University; Emory University; and University of California, San Francisco. Several authors reported receiving research funding related to the study from the CDC (and, in a few cases, additional support from other organizations), generally paid to their institutions. Some authors also disclosed receiving unrelated consulting fees, serving in advisory/data safety monitoring board roles, or receiving royalties from pharmaceutical companies or publishers. Detailed disclosures are available in the original article.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
