Lupus Nephritis Incidence & Prevalence Rising

Within the last 4 decades, the prevalence and incidence of lupus nephritis (LN) has increased, according to a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. Alí Duarte-García, MD, MSc, and colleagues examined the epidemiology of LN in Olmsted County, MN. Between 1976 and 2018, they identified patients with incident LN in Olmsted County (1976-2009) and an eight-county region in southeast MN (2010-2018). Time to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), standardized mortality ratios, and survival rates were estimated. A total of 72 patients with incident LN were identified between 1976 and 2018; 76% were female and 69% were non-Hispanic White. Between 1976 and 2018, the average annual LN incidence per 100,000 population was 1.0 (95% CI, 0.8–1.3) and was highest in patients aged 30-39. At 10 years, survival was 70%, and 13% of LN patients had ESRD. “[Patients with LN] have poor outcomes, with high rates of ESRD and mortality rates six times that of the general population,” the study authors wrote.