Lupus, a Leading Cause of Years of Potential Life Lost in Young Women: Implications for Public Health Priorities and Research Funding

OBJECTIVE: Premature mortality burden is an important component of disease burden and can help guide health care and research priorities. However, relying solely on mortality rates may underestimate lupus mortality burden because a substantial proportion of deaths occur at younger ages. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) captures premature mortality by applying a predefined age threshold. We estimated the YPLL from lupus in US women relative to leading causes of death and other autoimmune diseases. METHODS: Using the US population-based national Multiple Cause-of-Death database, we obtained death counts for 28 diseases, including lupus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 15 leading causes of death, and 12 additional autoimmune diseases. We calculated YPLL before age 75 years by summing 75 minus age at death for deaths occurring before age 75. Official cause-of-death rankings were obtained from the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Sensitivity analyses were repeated in female decedents during 2018 to 2024. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2015, 304.2 thousand years were lost to lupus in US women aged 15 to 44 years. Lupus-associated YPLL ranked 14th in women aged 15 to 44 years and 9th in women aged 15 to 24, exceeding diabetes mellitus, HIV disease, septicemia, chronic lower respiratory disease, anemias, nephritis, and cerebrovascular disease. Among autoimmune diseases, lupus YPLL ranked first in women aged 15 to 24 years and second in women aged 15 to 44 years. CONCLUSION: Lupus is a major contributor to premature mortality in young women. Quantifying premature mortality burden through YPLL provides a complementary public health perspective and may inform prioritization of research and public health initiatives.