The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released a summary of a guideline with updated recommendations for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

The previous guideline for managing SLE in adults was published in 1999, said Lisa R. Sammaritano, MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, who led the project.

Lisa R. Sammaritano, MD

At that time, “the recommended management for severe disease was high-dose steroid (eg, prednisone) plus an immunosuppressive agent, usually azathioprine or cyclophosphamide,” she told Medscape Medical News . “Since then, the spectrum of available therapies for SLE treatment has broadened considerably, and there have been important changes in our understanding of optimal use of rheumatology therapies, both new and old.”

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