Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with protean manifestations that predominantly affects young women. Certain ethnic groups are more vulnerable than others to developing SLE and experience increased morbidity and mortality. Reports of the global incidence and prevalence of SLE vary widely, owing to inherent variation in population demographics, environmental exposures and socioeconomic factors. Differences in study design and case definitions also contribute to inconsistent reporting. Very little is known about the incidence of SLE in Africa and Australasia. Identifying and remediating such gaps in epidemiology is critical to understanding the global burden of SLE and improving patient outcomes. Mortality from SLE is still two to three times higher than that of the general population. Internationally, the frequent causes of death for patients with SLE include infection and cardiovascular disease. Even without new therapies, mortality can potentially be mitigated with enhanced quality of care. This Review focuses primarily on the past 5 years of global epidemiological studies and discusses the regional incidence and prevalence of SLE and top causes of mortality.

系统性红斑狼疮 (SLE) 是一种自身免疫性疾病，具有多变的表现，主要影响年轻女性。某些族群比其他族群更容易患上 SLE，并且发病率和死亡率增加。由于人口统计、环境暴露和社会经济因素的固有差异，关于 SLE 全球发病率和患病率的报告差异很大。研究设计和病例定义的差异也导致报告不一致。关于非洲和大洋洲的 SLE 发病率知之甚少。识别和弥补流行病学中的此类差距对于了解 SLE 的全球负担和改善患者预后至关重要。SLE 的死亡率仍然是普通人群的两到三倍。在国际上，SLE患者的常见死因包括感染和心血管疾病。即使没有新疗法，也可以通过提高护理质量来降低死亡率。本综述主要关注过去 5 年的全球流行病学研究，并讨论 SLE 的区域发病率和患病率以及主要的死亡原因。