Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Retinal Vasculitis: A Multicenter Cohort...

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Ophthalmology
• Cardiology
• Nephrology
• Neurology

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease.
• Retinal vasculitis (RV) is a serious ocular manifestation of SLE.
• Long-term outcomes for patients with SLE and RV require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term incidence of death, myocardial infarction (MI), dialysis, and stroke in patients diagnosed with SLE and RV.
• To compare these outcomes with matched cohorts without RV.

Main Methods:

• Utilized TriNetX, a federated electronic health records network, to identify 435 patients with SLE/RV from 2004 to 2024.
• Matched patients based on age, sex, race, and propensity score.
• Excluded patients with prior MI, dialysis, or cerebrovascular complications.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in the risk of death, MI, or dialysis were observed between SLE/RV and control cohorts at 5 and 10 years.
• An increased risk of stroke was identified in the SLE/RV cohort at 5 and 10 years post-diagnosis.
• No significant difference in stroke risk was found at the 1-year mark.

Conclusions:

• Patients with SLE and RV share similar long-term risks for death, MI, and dialysis compared to those without RV.
• SLE/RV patients demonstrate an elevated risk of stroke in the 5-10 years following diagnosis.
• Multidisciplinary care is crucial for managing the increased stroke risk in SLE/RV patients.