The Humanistic and Economic Burden of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

The burden of SLE was found to be substantial, not only for patients but also for the health services that provide care for them. Treatments that are able to alleviate this burden are therefore likely to be highly valued by sufferers. After an extended period in which few therapeutic advances were made or treatments licensed, fundamental developments are finally being made. These new treatments will need to be evaluated for both clinical and cost effectiveness if their use is to be widely implemented.

Mapping the disease-specific LupusQoL to the SF-6D

“…As our function does not suffer from an inability to predict scores at the lower end of the SF-6D range, it appears more likely that the problem is due to a lack of observations in the estimation data set covering high SF-6D scores. This absence is a reflection of the large detrimental effect of SLE on HRQoL [10]. In our representative samples of outpatients, just 9% of the estimation and 10% of the validation sample have observed SF-6D scores above this level.…”

“…The nature of the disease is such that it can affect different organs and systems in different patients, and can evolve over time. SLE has various manifestations including joint and muscle ache, rashes, extreme fatigue, hair loss, ulcers, anxiety and depression [10]. Around 90% of patients are women [10], with incidence highest in those of child-bearing age, and in nonCaucasian populations [11].…”

“…SLE has various manifestations including joint and muscle ache, rashes, extreme fatigue, hair loss, ulcers, anxiety and depression [10]. Around 90% of patients are women [10], with incidence highest in those of child-bearing age, and in nonCaucasian populations [11]. There is no cure for the condition, which has been shown to impose a substantial burden in term of HRQoL [10,12], and treatment is therefore aimed at reducing disease activity and frequency of relapse.…”

“…Around 90% of patients are women [10], with incidence highest in those of child-bearing age, and in nonCaucasian populations [11]. There is no cure for the condition, which has been shown to impose a substantial burden in term of HRQoL [10,12], and treatment is therefore aimed at reducing disease activity and frequency of relapse. Few medications are currently licensed for the treatment of SLE, and the commonly used immune-suppressants can be associated with significant adverse events.…”

Awareness and Misconceptions of Female Students in King Saud University on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

“…Therefore, it seems inadequate to evaluate disease awareness subjectively. This observed failure to recognize the disease's characteristics and symptoms may cause a delay in seeking medical advice which may result in a more severe form of the disease [6], leading to greater financial burden on both patient and society [7,8].…”