Estimating the prevalence of Sjogren’s syndrome in the world using systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder with variable prevalence in different parts of the world. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of Sjogren’s syndrome worldwide using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: For this study, we searched the databases of PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane, Web of Science, and the Google Scholar search engine without any time limit until February 17, 2024. We used STATA 14 software for data analysis, and the significance level was set at P<0.05. Results: Combining the findings of 24 observational studies with a total of 211349 participants, we concluded that the overall prevalence of Sjogren’s syndrome in the world and the female population was (13%; [95% CI: 10%, 16%]) and (15% [95% CI: 4%, 26%]), respectively. The worldwide prevalence of Sjogren’s syndrome in cohort studies and cross-sectional studies was (14% [95% CI: 10%, 19%]) and (10% [95% CI: 7%, 14%]), respectively. However, the prevalence of primary Sjogren’s syndrome was (7% [95% CI: 5%, 9%]) and the prevalence of secondary Sjogren syndrome was (9% [95% CI: 6%, 13%]). Additionally, the prevalence of Sjogren’s syndrome among the age groups of 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79 years was (31% [95% CI: 30%, 42%]), (4% [95% CI: 1%, 6%]), (7% [95% CI: 5%, 10%]), (24% [95% CI: 15%, 33%]), (22% [95% CI: 2%, 42%]), and (5% [95% CI: 1%, 9%]), respectively. Conclusion: Sjogren’s syndrome has a high overall prevalence in the world, and considering the adverse outcomes of this disease, there should be measures taken to control and screen the prevalence of Sjogren’s disease. Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024513783) and Research Registry (UIN: reviewregistry1793) website.