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What About Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that typically affects your joints. The disorder may affect virtually any organ system in your body. It tends to be episodic, with alternating periods of flares and remission.  

Lupus affects between 40 and 50 out of every 100,000 Americans. The disease affects women eight to 10 times more frequently than men and often first appears in women of childbearing years (ages 18 to 45).  Lupus more often affects women who are black, American Indian, Asian or Hispanic than women who are white. Lupus also affects children and older people. Lupus can affect more than one family member, but there are no studies showing that lupus is an inherited disease.

There are several types of lupus, but systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is the most common and the type that causes the most difficulties. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, meaning that your body's own defenses attack your tissues,  resulting in pain, swelling and inflammation. Lupus is also a rheumatic (arthritic) disease, and can affect the joints, muscles, skin, kidneys, nervous system, lungs and heart. The cause of lupus is unknown.

In the 1950s, a diagnosis of SLE meant a 50 percent possibility of death within 5 years. Today, there are more sensitive diagnostic tests and better treatments which yield a 97 percent chance longer life span for someone with the disease.

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