# Comorbidities in Privately Insured South Africans With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

## TL;DR

This study found that most South African SLE patients have multiple comorbidities, including hypertension, mental health issues, and infections, which significantly affect their health.

## Contribution

The study provides the first detailed analysis of comorbidities in privately insured South African SLE patients.

## Key findings

- All patients had at least one comorbidity, with hypertension and mood/anxiety disorders being most common.
- Pulmonary disease was the most frequent Charlson comorbidity, and male gender strongly predicted congestive heart failure.
- Chloroquine use was linked to mood and anxiety disorders, highlighting potential drug effects on mental health.

## Abstract

Introduction

Comorbidities in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) impact negatively on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and life expectancy. We investigated the frequency and spectrum of comorbidities in privately insured South Africans with SLE.

Methods

The data of SLE patients based on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes and insured with Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS), South Africa, aged ≥16 years at diagnosis and with ≥6 months of follow-up were reviewed. Demographics, comorbidities listed in the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), other common comorbidities, intercurrent illnesses, and drug therapy were documented.

Results

Of the 520 patients coded as SLE, 207 met the inclusion criteria. Most were females (90.8%), with a median (interquartile range {IQR}) age and follow-up duration of 39 (30.3-53.0) and 6.1 (3.7-8.1) years, respectively. All patients had at least one comorbidity; the most frequent CCI comorbidities were pulmonary disease (30.9%), congestive heart failure (CHF, 15%), and renal disease (14.0%). Other common comorbidities were hypertension (53.1%) and mood and anxiety disorders (46.9%). Urinary tract infections (UTIs, 37.7%) and pneumonia (33.8%) were common intercurrent illnesses. The independent predictors of CHF were renal disease (odds ratio {OR}=855), dyslipidemia (OR=15.3), and male gender (OR=43.0); the independent predictors of hypertension were age at diagnosis (OR=1.03), type 2 diabetes (OR=4.45), and renal disease (OR=4.34); and the independent predictors of mood and anxiety disorders were female gender (OR=3.98), stroke (OR=3.18), UTI (OR=2.39), and chloroquine use (OR=1.94).

Conclusion

In this study of privately insured South Africans with SLE, comorbidities were common, and all patients had at least one comorbidity. Hypertension, infections, and mood and anxiety disorders were the leading comorbidities overall, and pulmonary disease was the most common CCI comorbidity. There is an obvious need to formally study the burden of mental health disorders in South African SLE patients.