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Inpatient Mortality Rates Decrease for People with Lupus
Mortality rates for people with lupus hospitalized in the U.S. significantly declined (30%) from 2006 to 2016; however, rates remain high among minority groups. The national study also found that people with lupus of Asian/Pacific Islander descent have a particularly higher risk (43%) of mortality.
Researchers examined more than 340 million records from more than 97% of U.S. community hospital discharges in 2016. Overall, the survival rate of people with lupus has increased to a 90% 10-year survival rate in 2000. Other key findings include:
- Greater in-hospital mortality risks are associated with ethnicity – Asian/Pacific Islander (1.65 times greater), Hispanic (1.10 times greater) and Black (1.03 times greater).
- U.S. Black and Hispanics are most often hospitalized, and typically live in the South, in lower income regions and had more comorbidities (other health conditions).
- Hospitalized people with lupus are younger (51.4 vs. 57.2 years) and 89% are female.
- In-hospital mortality increase for older people with lupus; however, were lower for women and people living in the Midwest.
- Mortality rate increased by a factor of 1.36 for those without health insurance.
This is the largest study of in-hospital lupus mortality published to date and few studies have examined this data among minority groups with lupus, which tend to have both increased mortality and disease-related damage. The research underscores that more work is needed to improve access to healthcare and limit disparities in care. Learn more about the leading causes of death in lupus.