Exploring the quality of life and comorbidity impact among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To explore the quality of life (QoL) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the factors affecting it.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 269 patients diagnosed with SLE from multiple centers across different regions of Saudi Arabia were included. We used the LupusPRO1.8 QoL assessment tool. Additionally, comprehensive data regarding patient demographics, disease features, and associated comorbidities were collected for analysis.

Results: The overall mean QoL score was 57.71±11.97, with the median value (interquartile range [IQR]) of 56.82 (48.62-66.65). The mean health-related QoL (HRQoL) score was 57.09±18.81, with the median (IQR) of 55.63 (44.04-70.19). Among HRQoL domains, the emotional health domain had the lowest score (44.67±30.00, median: 41.7 [16.7-66.7]). The second and third lowest scores were for fatigue (46.24±29.18, median: 43.8 [25-68.8]) and pain (48.65±30.38, median: 50 [25-71.9]). Regarding non-HRQoL, the mean score was 58.32±15.52 and median (IQR) score was 58.85 (48.18-70.83). The desires-goals domain had the lowest score (45.79±31.41), with the median value of 43.8 (21.9-68.8). The presence of comorbidities was the only factor affecting the QoL of patients with SLE.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that patients with SLE have worse overall QoL, which includes both HRQoL and non-HRQoL domains. Furthermore, the presence of comorbidities was the only factor that influenced the QoL of lupus patients.