PT3:02 Predictors of flare in systemic lupus erythematosus after glucocorticoid tapering or withdrawal: a retrospective cohort study

Objectives To assess the effect of slow prednisolone (PDN) tapering versus maintenance of low-dose PDN on flare risk in SLE patients in remission.Methods Observational, retrospective cohort study of adults fulfilling 2019 EULAR/ACR or 2012 SLICC criteria for SLE, followed at Coimbra’s Hospital. Data were obtained from the prospective clinical registry.Eligible patients were in remission, receiving PDN 1–5 mg/day at baseline, and had at least 6 months of follow-up (January 2020–July 2025). Baseline features and ongoing therapy were collected.The primary outcome was time to first flare. Covariates were included as potential predictors of flare fixed at baseline, with only PDN dose modelled as a time-varying variable. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses estimated hazard ratios (HR, 95%CI). Variables with p