Legge A, et al. - Frailty index (FI), constructed using data from the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) inception cohort, was evaluated for its properties as a novel health measure in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For this secondary analysis, the first study visit at which both organ damage (SLICC/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index [SDI]) and health-related quality of life (Short-Form 36 [SF-36] scores) were assessed, was defined the baseline visit. Forty-eight health deficits, including items related to organ damage, disease activity, comorbidities, and functional status were included in the SLICC-FI. The baseline data set comprised 1,683 patients with SLE; of these, 89% were female, the mean ± SD age was 35.7 ± 13.4 years, and the mean ± SD disease duration was 18.8 ± 15.7 months. Following adjustments for age, sex, steroid use, ethnicity/region, and baseline SDI scores, researchers noted the correlation of higher baseline SLICC-FI values (per 0.05 increment) with increased mortality risk (hazard ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval 1.35–1.87). This suggests the potential utility of the SLICC-FI for quantifying vulnerability among patients with SLE.