Asthma and COPD highly associated with SLE patients, Finds study

SLE is associated with significant decrements in patient‐reported outcomes (PROs), such as physical function and fatigue as well as overall quality of life. Asthma and COPD each have also been demonstrated to have significant impacts on PROs.

Despite the potential increased risk of both asthma and COPD in SLE, and the demonstrated impact of both conditions on PROs, little research has focused on the impact of asthma or COPD on outcomes in SLE.

Hence, Patricia Katz and colleagues from the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California carried out the present study to examine the prevalence, incidence, and impact of self‐reported asthma and COPD in two US‐based SLE cohorts (FORWARD and Lupus Outcomes Study [LOS]).

Prevalence of asthma and COPD were defined as presence of conditions at individuals' first interviews; incidence was defined as new reports over the next 3 years. Cross‐sectional associations of asthma/COPD with patient‐reported outcomes (PROs) and longitudinal analyses associations with asthma/COPD at entry with PROs 3 years later were examined.

The key findings highlighted in the study were-

9. 19.8% and 8.3% participants reported asthma and COPD, respectively, at entry.
10. In LOS, 36.0% reported the presence of either (US population comparisons: asthma, 9.7%; COPD, 6.1%).
11. Cross‐sectionally, asthma/COPD was associated with worse PROs, including disease activity.
12. Individuals with asthma experienced greater worsening of fatigue, pain, and global health ratings longitudinally; individuals with COPD experienced greater increases in self‐reported SLE activity.
13. However, no such patterns were noted in the LOS.

Therefore, the authors concluded that "asthma and COPD appeared to be more common in SLE than in the general US population and were associated with worse status on PROs cross‐sectionally. Asthma was linked to decrements in PROs longitudinally."