Incidence and prevalence

SLE tends to affect:

• Young women of childbearing age, and the usual age is from the late teens to mid-30’s, though children, older women and men may be affected too.
• Currently there are 50,000 people in the UK with Lupus, affecting 12 per 100,000 of the general population.
• However, it is nine times more common in Afro-Caribbeans and Asians than Caucasian patients.
• Pregnant women (or postnatal) are particularly at risk of getting their first attack.
• Flares of disease are more likely to occur pre-menstrually.
• Currently the number of people in the UK with Lupus is one tenth of the number with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Amended November 2008