PO:13:337 Dyspnea affects over half of patients with SLE and is associated with pain, fatigue, and depression

Objectives Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogenous disease affecting multiple organ systems, and patients frequently experience pulmonary symptoms, including dyspnea. We assessed prevalence of dyspnea, and investigated associations between dyspnea and other patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).Methods A total of 184 patients with SLE 1 (mean age 49 years, 86% women) followed at the Rheumatology Clinic at Uppsala University hospital completed PROM questionnaires during consecutive inpatient or outpatient visits. Pain, fatigue, and general health were assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS 0-100). Dyspnea and depressive symptoms were measured on an ordinal scale (0-3), via the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire (SLAQ).2–3 Smoking habits were recorded as dichotomic variables. Clinical data, including Hemoglobin (Hb) levels, were extracted from patient records. Statistical analyses included Spearman’s correlation and logistic regression (SPSS v29). Dyspnea was dichotomized (presence vs. absence) for logistic regression.Results Dyspnea was reported by 54.8% of patients: 53 (28.5%) mild, 36 (19.3%) moderate, and 13 (7%) severe. Low Hb levels were observed in 50 patients: 43 (23%, Hb