Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex, severe autoimmune disease which can potentially lead to life-threatening manifestations and therapy-associated complications. Common causes of death in SLE patients include severe refractory manifestations, infections, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and malignancies [1]. A meta-analysis of studies published between 1950 and 2016 on SLE mortality worldwide showed an increasing survival in both high-income and low-/middle-income countries until the mid-1990s, which was followed by a stable plateau [2].
