Reduced Aerobic Capacity and Quality of Life in Physically Inactive Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Mild or Inactive Disease

Objective To compare aerobic capacity and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in physically inactive adult systemic lupus erythematosus (A‐SLE) and childhood‐onset systemic lupus erythematosus (C‐SLE) patients with mild/inactive disease versus healthy controls. Methods In a cross‐sectional study, 39 patients (C‐SLE: n = 18, ages 9–18 years; and A‐SLE: n = 21, ages 23–45 years) with inactive disease activity (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index ≤4) and low cumulative damage (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index ≤2) and 30 healthy controls (15 children and adolescents [C‐CTRL], 15 adults [A‐CTRL]) matched by physical inactivity, age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed for aerobic capacity and HRQOL. Results All participants were considered physically inactive according to physical activity guidelines. C‐SLE and A‐SLE patients showed lower VO2peak (95% CI confidence interval [95% CI] −10.5, −1.2 and −11.1, −3.8, respectively) and higher time‐to‐exhaustion when compared with C‐CTRL and A‐CTRL (95% CI −2.8, 0.1 and −3.9, −1.7, respectively). C‐SLE patients showed significantly lower scores in scholar functioning from the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory questionnaire (P