The effects of lifestyle interventions on disease activity and quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review

Introduction: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs, characterized by flares and remission. Treatment aims to reduce flare severity and prevent long-term damage, but remission is often elusive, and patients may still experience flares and a reduced quality of life (QoL). This had led to a growing interest in non-pharmacological therapies to improve patient wellbeing.

Objective: We aimed to assess and summarize the efficacy of lifestyle interventions in SLE patients on disease activity and QoL.

Methods: A systematic search on lifestyle interventions, SLE, disease activity, and QoL was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Embase and Clinicaltrials.gov in August 2024. Included studies were randomized controlled trials on lifestyle interventions in adult SLE patients. Each trial was appraised using Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) criteria, with participant numbers, study duration, intervention type and outcome measures detailed in separate tables.

Results: A total of 3564 articles were screened, resulting in the inclusion of 25 randomized controlled trials with 1521 patients. Study quality varied from high (11 studies) to low (6 studies) with considerable intervention heterogeneity. The interventions fell into five categories: physical activity, psychotherapy, lifestyle coaching, supplements and dietary interventions. Physical activity (2 studies, 116 patients), psychotherapy (5 studies, 507 patients) and coaching (1 study with 30 patients) had no significant effect on disease activity, while fish oil supplementation showed a slight benefit in two studies with a total of 102 patients. Quality of life generally improved with physical activity (4 studies with in total 253 patients) and psychotherapy (9 studies with in total 623 patients), with significant mental health benefits, but coaching (3 studies with in total 186 patients) showed no effect.

Conclusion: Various lifestyle interventions influence quality of life in SLE patients. Consistent with recent guidelines, both exercise and psychotherapy may positively impact the health-related quality of life in these patients. However, some studies were biased due to self-reported outcomes and the Hawthorne effect, where participants' behavior changed from receiving extra attention. Further research with larger patient cohorts is necessary to reduce the influence of heterogeneity across different studies and to better understand the potential of these promising therapies.