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. 2018 Sep;38(9):1721-1726.
doi: 10.1007/s00296-018-4091-4. Epub 2018 Jul 9.

Real-world incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Alberta, Canada

Francis Fatoye  1 , Tadesse Gebrye  2 , Lawrence W Svenson  3   4   5   6
Affiliations

Real-world incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Alberta, Canada

Francis Fatoye et al. Rheumatol Int. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is rather uncommon than rare. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of SLE in the population of Alberta, Canada, using administrative health data. Multiple population-based data sources, including the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan Central Stakeholder Registry (AHCIP CSR), Fee-For-Service, and Hospital Discharge Abstract Database were used. Age- and sex-specific incidence and prevalence rates, and 95% confidence intervals (CI), were computed using the AHCIP CSR mid-year population estimates as the denominator, for the period of 2000-2015. The overall incidence of SLE for all age groups was 4.43 (95% CI 3.65, 5.04) per 100,000 population. The overall incidence in male and female of all age groups was 1.26 (95% CI 0.72, 1.76) and 7.69 (95% CI 6.22, 8.81) per 100,000 population, respectively. A prevalence of 47.99 per 100,000 (male = 13.5, female = 83.2) of SLE was observed for the year 2000 and has increased to 90 (male = 25.5, female = 156.7) per 100,000 population in 2015. Over the 16-year period, the incidence of SLE in women was approximately six times higher than in men (odds ratio = 6.16). The highest and lowest incidence was recorded in 2001 and 2015, respectively. Despite the stable incidence of SLE, the findings of the study confirms that the prevalence of SLE has increased over the 16-year period. The increase in prevalence of SLE in Alberta will have an impact on health service utilizations. This finding can be used for planning and evaluating health services for this group of patients. Further studies are required to determine the economic burden of the condition.

Keywords: Alberta; Epidemiology; Incidence; Prevalence; Systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

For this study, ethical approval is not required.

Informed consent

The patient’s written informed consent was not made, as this was a retrospective type of study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The prevalence of SLE for male and female by age for the year 2000
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The prevalence of SLE for male and female over 16 years (2000–2015)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The incidence of SLE for male and female by age for the year 2000
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The incidence of SLE for male and female over 16 years (2000–2015)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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