OBJECTIVES: SLE has a varied geographic distribution with an incidence of 0.3 to 5.1 per 100 000 per year in Europe. Limited studies report the economic burden associated with SLE in Nordic countries. We undertook a SLR to capture up to date economic burden and resource utilization data for SLE in Nordic region.

METHODS: Embase®, Medline® and Cochrane, were searched for studies reporting economic burden of SLE. Studies inclusion was limited by geography (Nordic countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland), publication timeframe (January 2013 to June 2023) and language (English language only).

RESULTS: Eight studies out of 153 publications met the inclusion criteria. Among these eight studies, five studies reported data for Sweden, two for Denmark and one for Finland. No study reported data for Norway and Iceland. In Sweden, the total cost for SLE was estimated to be 1.177 billion SEK ($188 million= 129.5 million €) with indirect costs being the major contributor (70% of these costs). Activity and duration of disease, aging and presence of comorbidities were associated with higher cost burden. In Denmark, mean annual hospitalization rate was 25%. Complications to SLE and its treatment caused more hospitalizations. The hospitalizations were greater with flares as compared to long quiescent phase. The Finnish nationwide register data on special reimbursements for medication costs reported higher use of DMARDs for treatment of SLE.

CONCLUSIONS: The economic burden is prominent among SLE population. Sparse data is available on financial burden of SLE in Nordic region. Further studies are required to assess the direct and indirect cost associated with disease.