The incidence and mortality of connective tissue diseases: a population-level cohort study in England from 2012 to 2023
Authors' conclusion
Our findings indicated a fall in the incidence of SLE, a simultaneous rise in IIM incidence, and high all-cause mortality within IIM and SSc cohorts.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals ≥18 years old with new CTD diagnoses between 2012 and 2023, primary care records in England
- Participants
- 22,829 incident CTD diagnoses
- Exposure
- Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) vs Sjögren's disease (SjD) vs systemic sclerosis (SSc) vs idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) vs mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
- Outcome
- Incidence and all-cause mortality (age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs), standardized mortality ratios, hazards over time)
Methodological detailspopulation-level, primary care records (Clinical Practice Research Datalink), flexible parametric models, 81.1% female, median age 57
- Population-level
- Primary care records (Clinical Practice Research Datalink)
- Flexible parametric models
- 81.1% female, median age 57
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Age and sex-standardized incidence, 2012 to 2023
SLE
4.32-3.29
per 100 000 py
SSc
2.33-1.86
per 100 000 py
IIM
3.23 to 4.31
per 100 000 py
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| ASMRs across the study period · 2012-2023Highest for IIM, lowest for SjD | IIM 27.83 per 1000 py · SSc 24.43 per 1000 py · SLE 16.74 per 1000 py · MCTD 16.27 per 1000 py · SjD 9.70 per 1000 py |
Original publication
The incidence and mortality of connective tissue diseases: a population-level cohort study in England from 2012 to 2023. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 4 August 2025. doi:10.
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