In recent years, with gradual improvements in diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis for SLE has improved significantly, with patient survival improving from a four-year survival rate of 50% in the 1950s to a 15-year survival rate of 80% today, and a 10-year survival rate of over 90%.
Although long-term survival is achieved in many patients, SLE can affect the life expectancy of patients to varying degrees as SLE can cause severe damage to multiple organs, particularly the nervous system, kidneys, causing pulmonary hypertension and atherosclerosis.