Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Lupus Overview
ICD 10 Code
How Common Is Lupus
Causes
Mortality Rate
Early Detection
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)is an autoimmune disease that can affect any organ or tissue in the body.Lupusdevelops when the immune system, which normally fights infection and protects the body, attacks healthy tissue like the joints, heart, kidneys, skin, and lungs.
Symptoms of lupusare different for each person and range from mild to severe. People with lupus often go through periods of remission, when their symptoms subside or disappear, and periods of flare-ups, when new symptoms develop or existing symptoms become worse.
Nortonrsx / Getty Images

While anyone can develop lupus, women between the ages of 15 and 44 are 13 times more likely than men to develop the disease.
There are an estimated 1.5 million people living with lupus in the United States and at least 5 million worldwide.
Due to improved diagnostics and new treatments, most people with lupus can expect to reach a near normal life expectancy. This article will highlight important lupus facts and statistics you should know.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can produce a wide range of symptoms depending on the organ or system affected.
There are four types of lupus:
Lupus ICD 10 Code
TheICD 10 codeof lupus (SLE) is M32. ICD 10 codes are used to classify a disease and will appear on paperwork, hospital charts, and insurance billing.
For lupus there may also be other more clarifying codes that appear alongside your initial diagnosis. These provide a greater level of detail to help healthcare providers treat you properly and ensure you are billed correctly for any medical treatment.
Approximately 16,000 people are diagnosed with lupus each year in the United States.The prevalence of lupus has nearly doubled since 1976. The rising rates of lupus may be due to the fact that the United States is becoming more diverse, as it is more prevalent in populations other than non-Hispanic Whites.
Lupus is twice as prevalent in people of other races and ethnicities compared to non-Hispanic White people.One population study noted that 1 in 537 Black females will develop lupus.
Black women are more likely to develop the disease at an earlier age and have less favorable outcomes when compared to White women.
Ninety percent of people diagnosed with lupus are female. Several theories exist for why this is; one is that hormones are at play.
Also, each cell randomly deactivates one X chromosome when you have two. Only one X chromosome is actively providing instructions to produce proteins in any one cell, but this is random for each cell. If one X chromosome has a mutation that produces proteins different from the other, this might result in the immune system mistaking the proteins as foreign.
The average age for lupus onset is between 15 and 55.
Causes of Lupus and Risk Factors
The prevalence of lupus is higher among females, racial and ethnic minorities, and those who have a family history of autoimmune diseases.
The exact cause of lupus is unknown. Several theories exist and are being researched as to what triggers the immune system to attack the various tissues and organs of the body in lupus. These include:
What Are the Mortality Rates for Lupus?
There has been marked improvement in thesurvival rates of people with lupus. In the 1940s, over 40% of the people diagnosed with lupus died within five years. Today, the five-year and 10-year survival rates are over 90%.
Survival rates refer to the percentage of people with lupus who survive past certain lengths of time after diagnosis, in this case five and 10 years.
Screening and Early Detection
Lupus is difficult to diagnosebecause many of the symptoms can be mistaken for symptoms of other diseases. There is no single test to diagnose lupus.
Early diagnosis of lupus can lead to earlier treatment which can prevent severe symptoms and permanent damage to different organs and systems of the body.
To diagnose lupus, a healthcare provider will:
Summary
Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease that more commonly affects females, Black women, and other people of color. The exact cause of lupus is unknown.
While there is no cure, treatments exist to slow or prevent permanent damage to the body. Survival rates have improved over the last few decades with treatment options and improved diagnosis.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus).Fava A, Petri M.Systemic lupus erythematosus: diagnosis and clinical management.J Autoimmun. 2019;96:1-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2018.11.001Lupus Foundation of America.Lupus facts and statistics.Maidhof W, Hilas O.Lupus: an overview of the disease and management options.P T. 2012;37(4):240-249.ICD10 Data.2022 icd-10-cm diagnosis code m32: systemic lupus erythematosus (sle).Duarte-García A, Hocaoglu M, Valenzuela-Almada M, et al.Rising incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based study over four decades.Ann Rheum Dis. 2022;annrheumdis-2022-222276. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-222276Somers EC, Marder W, Cagnoli P, et al.Population-based incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: the Michigan Lupus Epidemiology and Surveillance program.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(2):369-378. doi:10.1002/art.38238Angum F, Khan T, Kaler J, Siddiqui L, Hussain A.The prevalence of autoimmune disorders in women: a narrative review.Cureus. 2020;12(5):e8094. doi:10.7759/cureus.8094Parks CG, de Souza Espindola Santos A, Barbhaiya M, Costenbader KH.Understanding the role of environmental factors in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2017;31(3):306-320. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2017.09.005Singh RR, Yen EY.SLE mortality remains disproportionately high, despite improvements over the last decade.Lupus. 2018;27(10):1577-1581. doi:10.1177/0961203318786436Jorge AM, Lu N, Zhang Y, Rai SK, Choi HK.Unchanging premature mortality trends in systemic lupus erythematosus: a general population-based study (1999-2014).Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(2):337-344. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kex412Arnaud L, Tektonidou MG.Long-term outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: trends over time and major contributors.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2020;59(Suppl5):v29-v38. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa382Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diagnosing and treating lupus.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus).Fava A, Petri M.Systemic lupus erythematosus: diagnosis and clinical management.J Autoimmun. 2019;96:1-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2018.11.001Lupus Foundation of America.Lupus facts and statistics.Maidhof W, Hilas O.Lupus: an overview of the disease and management options.P T. 2012;37(4):240-249.ICD10 Data.2022 icd-10-cm diagnosis code m32: systemic lupus erythematosus (sle).Duarte-García A, Hocaoglu M, Valenzuela-Almada M, et al.Rising incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based study over four decades.Ann Rheum Dis. 2022;annrheumdis-2022-222276. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-222276Somers EC, Marder W, Cagnoli P, et al.Population-based incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: the Michigan Lupus Epidemiology and Surveillance program.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(2):369-378. doi:10.1002/art.38238Angum F, Khan T, Kaler J, Siddiqui L, Hussain A.The prevalence of autoimmune disorders in women: a narrative review.Cureus. 2020;12(5):e8094. doi:10.7759/cureus.8094Parks CG, de Souza Espindola Santos A, Barbhaiya M, Costenbader KH.Understanding the role of environmental factors in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2017;31(3):306-320. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2017.09.005Singh RR, Yen EY.SLE mortality remains disproportionately high, despite improvements over the last decade.Lupus. 2018;27(10):1577-1581. doi:10.1177/0961203318786436Jorge AM, Lu N, Zhang Y, Rai SK, Choi HK.Unchanging premature mortality trends in systemic lupus erythematosus: a general population-based study (1999-2014).Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(2):337-344. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kex412Arnaud L, Tektonidou MG.Long-term outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: trends over time and major contributors.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2020;59(Suppl5):v29-v38. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa382Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diagnosing and treating lupus.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus).Fava A, Petri M.Systemic lupus erythematosus: diagnosis and clinical management.J Autoimmun. 2019;96:1-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2018.11.001Lupus Foundation of America.Lupus facts and statistics.Maidhof W, Hilas O.Lupus: an overview of the disease and management options.P T. 2012;37(4):240-249.ICD10 Data.2022 icd-10-cm diagnosis code m32: systemic lupus erythematosus (sle).Duarte-García A, Hocaoglu M, Valenzuela-Almada M, et al.Rising incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based study over four decades.Ann Rheum Dis. 2022;annrheumdis-2022-222276. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-222276Somers EC, Marder W, Cagnoli P, et al.Population-based incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: the Michigan Lupus Epidemiology and Surveillance program.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(2):369-378. doi:10.1002/art.38238Angum F, Khan T, Kaler J, Siddiqui L, Hussain A.The prevalence of autoimmune disorders in women: a narrative review.Cureus. 2020;12(5):e8094. doi:10.7759/cureus.8094Parks CG, de Souza Espindola Santos A, Barbhaiya M, Costenbader KH.Understanding the role of environmental factors in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2017;31(3):306-320. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2017.09.005Singh RR, Yen EY.SLE mortality remains disproportionately high, despite improvements over the last decade.Lupus. 2018;27(10):1577-1581. doi:10.1177/0961203318786436Jorge AM, Lu N, Zhang Y, Rai SK, Choi HK.Unchanging premature mortality trends in systemic lupus erythematosus: a general population-based study (1999-2014).Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(2):337-344. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kex412Arnaud L, Tektonidou MG.Long-term outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: trends over time and major contributors.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2020;59(Suppl5):v29-v38. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa382Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diagnosing and treating lupus.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus).
Fava A, Petri M.Systemic lupus erythematosus: diagnosis and clinical management.J Autoimmun. 2019;96:1-13. doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2018.11.001
Lupus Foundation of America.Lupus facts and statistics.
Maidhof W, Hilas O.Lupus: an overview of the disease and management options.P T. 2012;37(4):240-249.
ICD10 Data.2022 icd-10-cm diagnosis code m32: systemic lupus erythematosus (sle).
Duarte-García A, Hocaoglu M, Valenzuela-Almada M, et al.Rising incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based study over four decades.Ann Rheum Dis. 2022;annrheumdis-2022-222276. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-222276
Somers EC, Marder W, Cagnoli P, et al.Population-based incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: the Michigan Lupus Epidemiology and Surveillance program.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66(2):369-378. doi:10.1002/art.38238
Angum F, Khan T, Kaler J, Siddiqui L, Hussain A.The prevalence of autoimmune disorders in women: a narrative review.Cureus. 2020;12(5):e8094. doi:10.7759/cureus.8094
Parks CG, de Souza Espindola Santos A, Barbhaiya M, Costenbader KH.Understanding the role of environmental factors in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2017;31(3):306-320. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2017.09.005
Singh RR, Yen EY.SLE mortality remains disproportionately high, despite improvements over the last decade.Lupus. 2018;27(10):1577-1581. doi:10.1177/0961203318786436
Jorge AM, Lu N, Zhang Y, Rai SK, Choi HK.Unchanging premature mortality trends in systemic lupus erythematosus: a general population-based study (1999-2014).Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57(2):337-344. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kex412
Arnaud L, Tektonidou MG.Long-term outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: trends over time and major contributors.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2020;59(Suppl5):v29-v38. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa382
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diagnosing and treating lupus.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?