Discrimination and Cumulative Disease Damage Among African American Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Racial differences in clinical trial perceptions among a large, predominantly Black cohort of people with systemic lupus erythematosus in the Southeastern USA

OBJECTIVE

Black people in the USA have a higher incidence and severity of SLE and worse outcomes, yet they are significantly under-represented in SLE clinical trials. We assessed racial differences in clinical trial perceptions among a large cohort of predominantly Black people with SLE.

METHODS

Georgians Organised Against Lupus (GOAL) is a population-based, prospective cohort of people with a validated diagnosis of SLE living in Atlanta. The 2021-2022 GOAL survey included questions assessing knowledge, perceptions and experiences of lupus clinical trials involving drug therapy. Self-reported race was categorised as Black or non-Black. Survey responses by race were compared using χ2 analyses. Among Black respondents, factors associated with willingness to participate in clinical trials were examined using univariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 767 individuals responded to the 2021-2022 GOAL survey, of whom 80% were Black. There were 720 female respondents and 47 male respondents. There was no significant difference in willingness to participate in clinical trials between Black and non-Black respondents (28% vs 31%, p=0.071). Black respondents were less likely to correctly identify the definition of a clinical trial (34% vs 70%, p<0.001). Male gender, unemployed or disabled status, governmental health insurance and higher disease activity were associated with willingness to participate in clinical trials among Black respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that only 28% of respondents were willing to participate in lupus clinical trials, with no difference by race. Efforts must continue to engage those resistant to trial participation, regardless of race. Our findings also indicate that further research is warranted to assess whether strategies such as clinical trial education and diversification of study staff may be helpful to increase Black patient recruitment. Sociodemographic factors (gender, work status, insurance status) and disease-related factors (lupus activity) may also play important roles in clinical trial participation among Black people.

Choosing to End African American Health Disparities in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is three times more common and its manifestations are more severe in African American women compared to women of other races. It is not clear whether this is due to genetic differences or factors related to the physical or social environments, differences in health care, or a combination of these factors. Health disparities in patients with SLE between African American patients and persons of other races have been reported since the 1960s and are correlated with measures of lower socioeconomic status. Risk factors for these disparities have been demonstrated, but whether their mitigation improves outcomes for African American patients has not been tested except in self-efficacy. In 2002, the first true US population-based study of patients with SLE with death certificate records was conducted, which demonstrated a wide disparity between the number of African American women and White women dying from SLE. Five years ago, another study showed that SLE mortality rates in the United States had improved but that the African American patient mortality disparity persisted. Between 2014 and 2021, one study demonstrated racism's deleterious effects in patients with SLE. Racism may have been the unmeasured confounder, the proverbial "elephant in the room"-unnamed and unstudied. The etymology of "risk factor" has evolved from environmental risk factors to social determinants to now include structural injustice/structural racism. Racism in the United States has a centuries-long existence and is deeply ingrained in US society, making its detection and resolution difficult. However, racism being man made means Man can choose to change the it. Health disparities in patients with SLE should be addressed by viewing health care as a basic human right. We offer a conceptual framework and goals for both individual and national actions.

Disparities in Lupus and the Role of Social Determinants of Health: Current State of Knowledge and Directions for Future Research

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease. The complex relationships between race and ethnicity and social determinants of health (SDOH) in influencing SLE and its course are increasingly appreciated. Multiple SDOH have been strongly associated with lupus incidence and outcomes and contribute to health disparities in lupus. Measures of socioeconomic status, including economic instability, poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity, as well as features of the neighborhood and built environment, including lack of safe and affordable housing, crime, stress, racial segregation, and discrimination, are associated with race and ethnicity in the US and are risk factors for poor outcomes in lupus. In this scientific statement, we aimed to summarize current evidence on the role of SDOH in relation to racial and ethnic disparities in SLE and SLE outcomes, primarily as experienced in the U.S. Lupus Foundation of America's Health Disparities Advisory Panel, comprising 10 health disparity experts, including academic researchers and patients, who met 12 times over the course of 18 months in assembling and reviewing the data for this study. Sources included articles published from 2011 to 2023 in PubMed, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, and bibliographies and recommendations. Search terms included lupus, race, ethnicity, and SDOH domains. Data were extracted and synthesized into this scientific statement. Poorer neighborhoods correlate with increased damage, reduced care, and stress-induced lupus flares. Large disparities in health care affordability, accessibility, and acceptability exist in the US, varying by region, insurance status, and racial and minority groups. Preliminary interventions targeted social support, depression, and shared-decision-making, but more research and intervention implementation and evaluation are needed. Disparities in lupus across racial and ethnic groups in the US are driven by SDOH, some of which are more easily remediable than others. A multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach involving various stakeholder groups is needed to address these complex challenges, address these diminish disparities, and improve outcomes.

Impact of follow-up adherence on disease activity in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE)

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease, with a potential for significant disease damage, morbidity, and mortality. In comparison to the adult population, childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) tends to be more aggressive given the higher preponderance of renal and neuropsychiatric disease and increased disease activity. There is a paucity of literature examining relationship between disease activity, rheumatology follow-up visits, and health care utilization. The objective of this study is to determine whether adherence with outpatient clinic visits would affect disease activity in patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE).

METHODS

41 children <18 years of age at time of diagnosis with SLE who met Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics (SLICC) criteria and not evaluated in clinic within the previous 120-day period were identified as eligible for inclusion. Patients were continuously searched between December 2021 and July 2022 for eligibility evaluation. Through retrospective chart review, we assessed disease activity (SLE Disease Activity Index) at the last clinic visit. The patients were stratified into two cohorts of lower and higher disease activity, with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) ≤ 3 and SLEDAI ≥ 4, respectively. Descriptive statistics and Willcox Rank Sum (numerical variables) and Fisher's test (categorical variables) were used to compare these two groups.

RESULTS

Clinical, epidemiological, and serological data were compared between the two groups, with observed statistically significant differences to include current use of high dose prednisone associated with higher SLEDAI scores (p = 0.019). In nonparametric analysis, time to follow-up (p < 0.001), hospitalizations (p = 0.017), and Emergency Department visits (ED) (p < 0.001) were found to be associated with higher SLEDAI scores.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that cSLE patients with higher disease activity are at risk for increased health care utilization with respect to ED visits as well as hospitalizations in the setting of follow-up nonadherence. While further studies are required to enhance our understanding of this association, this links the importance of disease-related outcome and routine outpatient visits in this particularly vulnerable patient population.

An ecological approach to understanding and addressing health inequities of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex chronic autoimmune disease disproportionally afflicting women and, in particular, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic women. These groups of women have significantly worse SLE-related health outcomes which are partially attributable to their exposure to marginalizing and interconnecting social issues like racism, sexism, economic inequality, and more. Although these groups of women have higher rates of SLE and though it is well known that they are at risk of exposure to marginalizing social phenomena, relatively little SLE literature explicitly links and addresses the relationship between marginalizing social issues and poor SLE-health outcomes among these women. Therefore, we developed a community-engaged partnership with two childhood-SLE diagnosed women of color to identify their perspectives on which systemic issues impacted on their SLE health-related outcomes. Afterward, we used Cochrane guidelines to conduct a rapid review associated with these identified issues and original SLE research. Then, we adapted an ecological model to illustrate the connection between systems issues and SLE health outcomes. Finally, we provided recommendations for ways to research and clinically mitigate SLE health inequities.

Formative research to promote lupus awareness and early screening at Historically Black College and University (HBCU) communities in South Carolina

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus or lupus is a severe chronic autoimmune disorder that disproportionately impacts young African Americans. Increasing lupus awareness in this high-risk group may be an effective approach to ultimately improving lupus outcomes. To begin to address this disparity, this report describes qualitative data to be utilized in the development of a campaign to enhance awareness of lupus on Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) campuses.

METHODS

Two focus groups (N = 14) were held with African American students in the network of HBCU's in South Carolina to examine perspectives of focus group participants on knowledge, awareness, and experiences with lupus.

RESULTS

Five key emergent themes included: (1) Lupus Knowledge and Awareness, (2) Barriers for Not Seeking Healthcare, (3) Fatalism for Disease Burden, (4) Lifestyle Debilitation, and (5) Elevation of Education and Advocacy for Lupus. Additionally, five key recommendations emerged to improve lupus awareness and support, including: (1) remaining positive, (2) developing a supportive network, (3) the importance of increasing advocacy efficacy, and (4) messaging strategies around lupus, and (5) providing education to foster knowledge around the clinical impacts of lupus.

CONCLUSION

Participants in our study stressed the necessity of lupus education and awareness among African American youth and expressed the desire for resources that would enable them to advocate for themselves and their families. Given the early age of onset for lupus, it is therefore vital to include African American youth in increasing education and awareness about lupus.

Anticipatory racism stress, smoking and disease activity: the Black women's experiences living with lupus (BeWELL) study

African American women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have worse disease outcomes compared to their White counterparts. Stressors associated with race may contribute to poorer health in this population through maladaptive behavioral pathways. This study investigated relationships between stress associated with anticipating racism, smoking, and SLE disease activity. Data were from 432 African American women with SLE in the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study. Controlling for sociodemographic and health-related covariates, multivariable regression analyses revealed a significant association between anticipatory racism stress (ARS) and disease activity (p = 0.00, b = 1.13, 95% CI [0.43, 1.82]). A significant interaction between ARS and smoking also indicated that smoking exacerbated the effect of ARS on disease activity (p = 0.04, b = 1.95, CI = 0.04, 3.96). Test for evidence of smoking mediating the effect of ARS on disease activity were not statistically significant (z = 1.77, p = 0.08). Findings have implications for future SLE disparities research among African American women with SLE.

Racism-related stress and psychological distress: Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus study

Disparate health consequences in African American women with systemic lupus erythematosus include greater severity of physical and psychological distress. Racism-related stress is also related to psychological distress correlates in this population. This study examined the relationships between racism-related experiences, psychological distress, and systemic lupus erythematosus activity in 430 African American women from the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus study. The structural equation model suggests that psychological distress mediates the relationship between racism-related stress and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity. The impact of racism-related stress on systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity may occur primarily through their impact on psychological health variables. Implications for clinical care and future directions are explored.

Perceptions of women with systemic lupus erythematosus undergoing high-risk prenatal care: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease that often leads to situations of harm to the mother-fetus binomial. Given the potential for complications and morbidities in these pregnant women, it is essential that a multidisciplinary team be involved in pregnancy planning, as well as monitoring the course of the pregnancy and the postpartum period. Owing to the imminent risks of disease worsening along with consequent disabilities, these women may experience psychological and psychosocial impacts conflicting with the psychological demands of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To understand the meanings attributed to pregnancy by women with SLE.

DESIGN

A qualitative design with face-to-face interview following a semi-structured script of open-ended questions.

SETTING

A specialized outpatient clinic where during prenatal care, women with stable disease undergo scheduled appointments.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample was intentionally composed of women visiting a specialized outpatient clinic from July 2017 to July 2018. The participants (N = 26) were interviewed in depth, with no refusal. Thematic analysis according to the 7 steps of qualitative analysis was conducted using NVivo 11.

FINDINGS

Four categories were identified: (1) unplanned pregnancy and nonuse of contraception, (2) feeling healthy despite a doctor's warning of the disease worsening because of pregnancy, (3) joy coupled with fear of the future and pregnancy, and (4) self-perception and straight perception.

CONCLUSIONS

The experiences of pregnant women with SLE are permeated by ambiguous feelings. These women feel healthy because they can bear a child despite the chronic disease diagnosis and, at the same time, experience fear and insecurity owing to the imminent possibility of disease-related disabilities and limitations. They especially wish to experience motherhood, and they strive for safety and support.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Health teams must be structured to welcome and advise these women in planning relationships and pregnancy, as well as choosing the best contraceptive methods and making optimal reproductive decisions. The development of strategies to deal with changes in the perinatal period may be helpful, as these women are willing to take care of themselves.

Pervasive Discrimination and Allostatic Load in African American and White Adults

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine associations among race, the accumulation of multiple forms of discriminatory experiences (i.e., "pervasive discrimination"), and allostatic load (AL) in African Americans and whites in midlife.

METHODS

Using data collected in 2004 to 2006 from 226 African American and 978 white adults (57% female; mean [SD] age = 54.7 [0.11] years) in the Midlife in the United States II Biomarker Project, a pervasive discrimination score was created by combining three discrimination scales, and an AL score was created based on 24 biomarkers representing seven physiological systems. Linear regression models were conducted to examine the association between pervasive discrimination and AL, adjusting for demographics and medical, behavioral, and personality covariates. A race by pervasive discrimination interaction was also examined to determine whether associations varied by race.

RESULTS

African Americans had higher pervasive discrimination and AL scores than did whites. In models adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status, medications, health behaviors, neuroticism, and negative affect, a pervasive discrimination score of 2 versus 0 was associated with a greater AL score (b = 0.30, SE = 0.07, p < .001). Although associations seemed to be stronger among African Americans as compared with whites, associations did not statistically differ by race.

CONCLUSIONS

More pervasive discrimination was related to greater multisystemic physiological dysregulation in a cohort of African American and white adults. Measuring discrimination by combining multiple forms of discriminatory experiences may be important for studying the health effects of discrimination.

Treating Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): The Impact of Historical Environmental Context on Healthcare Perceptions and Decision-Making in Charleston, South Carolina

INTRODUCTION

Over 400,000 slaves were taken from Africa and brought to Charleston, South Carolina, as part of the transatlantic slave trade during the 18th and 19th centuries. Due to these negative historical events, the healthcare of African Americans in Charleston may be compromised in regard to chronic illnesses and other conditions affecting minorities, such as lupus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The current study used an ethnographic approach to obtain the perspectives of lupus patients with the goal of identifying gaps within current research. In addition to patient perspectives, the geographical location of Charleston, South Carolina was considered through inquiries around culture, community, advocacy, and client/patient interaction to establish a narrative for the themes that emerged.

RESULTS

The eleven major themes identified were connectedness, knowledge, experience with lupus, compliance, clinical trial participation, career and planning for the future, visits, access to resources, lifestyle, transition from child to adult care, and an overarching theme of self-management.

CONCLUSION

Understanding healthcare perceptions and decision-making among culturally diverse populations, particularly those who have been defined by centuries of substandard care, marginalization, exploitation, and distrust, is critical to the development of culturally tailored interventions designed to improve patient outcomes and reduce health disparities.

Implementation and dissemination of an African American popular opinion model to improve lupus awareness: an academic-community partnership

OBJECTIVE

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects African Americans. We adapted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Popular Opinion Leader model to implement an intervention tailored for African American individuals that leverages an academic-community partnership and community-based social networks to disseminate culturally appropriate lupus education.

METHODS

Academic rheumatologists, social scientists, and researchers in Boston, MA and Chicago, IL partnered with local lupus support groups, community organizations, and churches in neighborhoods with higher proportions of African Americans to develop curriculum and recruit community leaders with and without lupus (Popular Opinion Leaders; POLs). POLs attended four training sessions focused on lupus education, strategies to educate others, and a review of research methods. POLs disseminated information through their social networks and recorded their impact, which was mapped using a geographic information system framework.

RESULTS

We trained 18 POLs in greater Boston and 19 in greater Chicago: 97% were African American, 97% were female; and the mean age was 57 years. Fifty-nine percent of Boston POLs and 68% of Chicago POLs had lupus. POLs at both sites engaged members of their social networks and communities in conversations about lupus, health disparities, and the importance of care. Boston POLs documented 97 encounters with 547 community members reached. Chicago POLs documented 124 encounters with 4083 community members reached.

CONCLUSIONS

An adapted, community-based POL model can be used to disseminate lupus education and increase awareness in African American communities. Further research is needed to determine the degree to which this may begin to reduce disparities in access to care and outcomes.

Peer approaches to self-management (PALS): comparing a peer mentoring approach for disease self-management in African American women with lupus with a social support control: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, healthcare costs and decreased quality of life. African Americans in the USA have three to four times greater prevalence of SLE, risk of developing SLE at an earlier age, and SLE-related disease activity, damage, and mortality compared with Caucasians, with the highest rates experienced by African American women. There is strong evidence that patient-level factors are associated with outcomes, which justifies targeting them with intervention. While evidence-based self-management interventions that incorporate both social support and health education have reduced pain, improved function, and delayed disability among patients with SLE, African Americans and women are still disproportionately impacted by SLE. Peer mentoring interventions are effective in other chronic conditions that disproportionately affect minorities, such as diabetes mellitus, HIV, and kidney disease, but there is currently no empirically tested peer mentoring intervention developed for patients with SLE. Preliminary data from our group suggest that peer mentoring improves self-management, reduces disease activity, and improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in African American women with SLE.

METHODS

This study will test an innovative, manualized peer mentorship program designed to provide modeling and reinforcement by peers (mentors) to other African American women with SLE (mentees) to encourage them to engage in activities that promote disease self-management. Through a randomized, "mentored" or "support group" controlled design, we will assess the efficacy and mechanism(s) of this intervention in self-management, disease activity, and HRQOL.

DISCUSSION

This is the first study to test peer mentorship as an alternative strategy to improve outcomes in African American women with SLE. This could result in a model for other programs that aim to improve disease self-management, disease activity, and HRQOL in African American women suffering from chronic illness. The peer mentoring approach is uniquely fitted to African Americans, and this intervention has the potential to lead to health improvements for African American women with SLE that have not been attainable with other interventions. This would significantly reduce disparities and have considerable public health impact.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03734055 . Registered on 27 November 2018.

Racial Discrimination, Disease Activity, and Organ Damage: The Black Women's Experiences Living With Lupus (BeWELL) Study

Black women are disproportionately affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic, potentially debilitating autoimmune disease, and they also experience more rapid progression and worse outcomes compared with other groups. We examined if racial discrimination is associated with disease outcomes among 427 black women with a validated diagnosis of SLE, who live in the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area, and were recruited to the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus Study (2015-2017). Frequency of self-reported experiences of racial discrimination in domains such as employment, housing, and medical settings was assessed using the Experiences of Discrimination measure. SLE activity in the previous 3 months, including symptoms of fatigue, fever, skin rashes, and ulcers, was measured using the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire; irreversible damage to an organ or system was measured using the Brief Index of Lupus Damage. Results of multivariable linear regression analyses examining the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire and log-transformed Brief Index of Lupus Damage scores indicated that increasing frequency of racial discrimination was associated with greater SLE activity (b = 2.00, 95% confidence interval: 1.32, 2.68) and organ damage (b = 0.08, 95% confidence interval: 0.02, 0.13). Comprehensive efforts to address disparities in SLE severity should include policies that address issues of racial discrimination.

Vicarious Racism Stress and Disease Activity: the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study

BACKGROUND

Indirect or vicarious exposure to racism (e.g., hearing about or observing acts of racism or discrimination) is a salient source of stress for African Americans. Emerging research suggests that these "secondhand" experiences of racism may contribute to racial health inequities through stress-mediated pathways. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that disproportionately impacts African American women and is characterized by racial disparities in severity. Health outcomes in this population may be susceptible to vicarious racism given that SLE is shown to be sensitive to psychosocial stress.

METHODS

Data are from 431 African American women with SLE living in Atlanta, Georgia in the Black Women's Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study (2015-2017). Vicarious racism stress was measured with four items assessing distress from (1) hearing about racism in the news; (2) experiences of racism among friends or family; (3) witnessing racism in public; and (4) racism depicted in movies and television shows. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations with disease activity measured using the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related covariates, vicarious racism stress was associated with greater disease activity (b = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.04-3.27). This association persisted even after adjustment for personal experiences of racial discrimination (b = 1.80; 95% CI = 0.67-2.92).

CONCLUSIONS

Vicarious racism may result in heightened disease activity and contribute to racial disparities in SLE. Our findings suggest that acts of racism committed against members of one's racial group may have distinct health consequences beyond the immediate victim or target.

Discrimination and the Health of African Americans: The Potential Importance of Intersectionalities

Research examining associations between self-reported experiences of discrimination overall (e.g. potentially due to race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, etc…) and health -particularly among African-Americans - has grown rapidly over the past two decades. Yet recent findings suggest that self-reported experiences of racism alone may be less impactful for the health of African-Americans than previously hypothesized. Thus, an approach that captures a broader range of complexities in the study of discrimination and health among African-Americans may be warranted. This article presents an argument for the importance of examining intersectionalities in studies of discrimination and physical health in African-Americans, and provides an overview of research in this area.

Peer-to-Peer Mentoring for African American Women With Lupus: A Feasibility Pilot

OBJECTIVE

To examine the feasibility and potential benefits of peer mentoring to improve the disease self-management and quality of life of individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODS

Peer mentors were trained and paired with up to 3 mentees to receive self-management education and support by telephone over 12 weeks. This study took place at an academic teaching hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. Seven quads consisting of 1 peer mentor and 3 mentees were matched, based on factors such as age, area of residence, and marital and work status. Mentee outcomes of self-management, health-related quality of life, and disease activity were measured using validated tools at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention. Descriptive statistics and effect sizes were calculated to determine clinically important (>0.3) changes from baseline.

RESULTS

Mentees showed trends toward lower disease activity (P = 0.004) and improved health-related quality of life, in the form of decreased anxiety (P = 0.018) and decreased depression (P = 0.057). Other improvements in health-related quality of life were observed with effect sizes >0.3, but did not reach statistical significance. In addition, both mentees and mentors gave very high scores for perceived treatment credibility and service delivery.

CONCLUSION

The intervention was well received. Training, the peer-mentoring program, and outcome measures were demonstrated to be feasible with modifications. This result provides preliminary support for the efficacy, acceptability, and perceived credibility of a peer-mentoring approach to improve disease self-management and health-related quality of life in African American women with SLE. Peer mentoring may augment current rheumatologic care.

Effective Self-Management Interventions for Patients With Lupus: Potential Impact of Peer Mentoring

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with significant mortality, morbidity and cost for the individual patient and society. In the United States, African Americans (AAs) have 3-4 times greater prevalence of lupus, risk of developing lupus at an earlier age and lupus-related disease activity, organ damage and mortality compared with whites. Evidence-based self-management interventions that incorporate both social support and health education have reduced pain, improved function and delayed disability among patients with lupus. However, AAs and women are still disproportionately affected by lupus. This article presents the argument that peer mentoring may be an especially effective intervention approach for AA women with SLE. SLE peers with a track record of success in lupus management and have a personal perspective that clinicians often lack. This commonality and credibility can establish trust, increase communication and, in turn, decrease disparities in healthcare outcomes.

I too, am America: a review of research on systemic lupus erythematosus in African-Americans

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disorder that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. A large body of evidence has shown that African-Americans experience the disease more severely than other racial-ethnic groups. Relevant literature for the years 2000 to August 2015 were obtained from systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, and the EBSCOHost platform that includes MEDLINE, CINAHL, etc. to evaluate research focused on SLE in African-Americans. Thirty-six of the 1502 articles were classified according to their level of evidence. The systematic review of the literature reported a wide range of adverse outcomes in African-American SLE patients and risk factors observed in other mono and multi-ethnic investigations. Studies limited to African-Americans with SLE identified novel methods for more precise ascertainment of risk and observed novel findings that hadn't been previously reported in African-Americans with SLE. Both environmental and genetic studies included in this review have highlighted unique African-American populations in an attempt to isolate risk attributable to African ancestry and observed increased genetic influence on overall disease in this cohort. The review also revealed emerging research in areas of quality of life, race-tailored interventions, and self-management. This review reemphasizes the importance of additional studies to better elucidate the natural history of SLE in African-Americans and optimize therapeutic strategies for those who are identified as being at high risk.