Trends and disparities in systemic lupus erythematosus incidence among U.S. active component service members, 2000-2022

Inpatient and outpatient encounter data retrieved from the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) were used to establish that there were 1,127 diagnoses of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) among active component U.S. service members (ACSM) from 2000 to 2022, with an overall incidence rate of 3.5 cases per 100,000 person-years. Annual incidence remained relatively constant over the 23-year surveillance period, peaking in 2009. Female ACSM accounted for 69.5% of incident cases, with a rate of incidence 12.3 times greater than males, while non-Hispanic Black ACSM accounted for 50.0% of incident cases, with a rate 6.7 times greater than among non-Hispanic Whites. This study further demonstrates greatest SLE incidence among non-Hispanic Black women, in all age groups.