The first National Survey about the prevalence of Lupus in France

For the first time, a survey using national data of health (“SNIIRAM and PMSI) allowed to estimate the incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus, in France, in respectively 3,32 and 47 case/100 000 year 2010, and 27369 prevalent cases the same year. The average age is 51 years for men (more or less 16,5 years) and 48,4 years for women(more and less 15,9 years). The prevalence is clearly feminine with 88 % of case identified in women.

The peak prevalence is observed in women between 40 and 49 years (138, 8/100 000) and in men 60 to 69 years (22, 3/100 000). The ratio sex (F/H) increases gradually with age, from 1 to younger patients a maximum of 13 for young adults, to fall to 3 in patients aged 70 to 79 years, highlighting the hormonal influence on this pathology.

Mainly in the Overseas Territories

Concerning the geographic distribution, the highest rate are observed in Aquitaine, in Corsica and Overseas Departments, in Reunion (6 to 7/100 000), French Guiana (86,2/100 000), in Guadeloupe (93,3/100 000) and in Martinique (126,7/100 000), and lowest in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays-de-la-Loire and Lorraine.

These figures may nevertheless underestimated, the author notice in the review “Autoimmunity Reviews”, because number of cases escape any census, including mild forms, not hospitalized. Dr

Anne Teyssédou

Laurent Arnaud, Jean-Paul Fagot et coll. Prevalence and incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus in France : A 2010 nation-wide population-based study. Autoimmunity Reviews.