Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Impact of belimumab therapy on the quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Before belimumab therapy, SLE patients had a worse HRQoL than the control group, based on both questionnaires, but after belimumab treatment the outcome scores between SLE patients and controls were similar, suggesting that belimumab therapy resulted in a strong improvement in HRQoL.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with belimumab, Italy (Italian SLEQoL)
- Participants
- 46 vs 40
- Exposure
- SLE patients before vs after 6 months of belimumab; SLE patients vs age-matched healthy controls
- SLEn = 46
- Healthy controlsn = 40reference
- Outcome
- HRQoL by SF-36 and SLEQoL
- Follow-up
- 6 months
Methodological detailsbefore–after comparison, age-matched healthy controls
- Before–after comparison
- Age-matched healthy controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
HRQoL (SF-36, SLEQoL) before vs after belimumab
- Belimumab significantly improved health-related QoL (HRQoL) according to SF-36 and SLEQoL
- Decrease in all six SLEQoL domains and increase in all eight SF-36 domains
- Before belimumab, SLE patients had worse HRQoL than controls; after treatment scores were similar
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Median prednisone dose after belimumab · 6 months
- Belimumab treatment led to a reduction in the median prednisone dose, to 0 mg/day (IQR 0-4.5 mg/day)
SELENA-SLEDAI score (disease activity) · 6 months
- Decrease in SELENA-SLEDAI score after belimumab
HRQoL, SLE patients vs healthy controls
- Before belimumab, SLE patients had worse HRQoL than controls on both questionnaires; after belimumab, scores were similar
Original publication
Impact of belimumab therapy on the quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A cohort study. Lupus. Published 30 October 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →