Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus) is a chronic, potentially devastating autoimmune disease in which the immune system turns against the body’s own cells and tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Lupus can affect many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.

Lupus affects people of all ages, including children, but it most often strikes people when they are between the ages of 15 and 45. Nine out of ten people with lupus are women.  Source: National Institutes of Health

Lupus is three times more common among African American women than among Caucasian women, and is also more common in women of Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent.  Source: National Institutes of Health

Lupus is by far the leading cause of death among young women with autoimmune diseases.

The risk of heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, and osteoporosis is much higher in people with lupus than in the general population.

The number of people with lupus in the U.S. has been estimated to range from at least 270,000 to more than one million. It is difficult to estimate how many people have lupus because its symptoms vary widely and can come and go, its onset is hard to pinpoint, and diagnosis can be elusive.

The exact cause of lupus is unknown. Research suggests it is caused by a combination of genetic factors that make a person susceptible to the disease and environmental factors such as infection, sunlight, or stress that trigger the disease in susceptible individuals.

There is no known cure for lupus, and the same small group of medications—mainly corticosteroids and chemotherapy drugs—has been used to treat lupus for decades. These drugs are toxic, have unpleasant and sometimes-serious side effects, and can cause a host of long-term complications including osteoporosis, diabetes, infertility, and severe infections.

Developing new, more targeted treatments that are safer and more effective is a high priority.

No single test can determine whether someone has SLE, and it may take several years after symptoms first develop before doctors can make a definitive diagnosis. 

Although survival rates have improved dramatically since the 1950s, death rates for people with lupus are still three to five times higher than in the general population.

Between 1979 and 1998, death rates from lupus increased by about 70 percent among African American women aged 45-64 years.  Source: JJ Sacks et al. 2002. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 51: 371-374.

The best available data indicate that the average annual cost of lupus resulting from medical expenses and lost productivity is at least $26,900 per person.* This translates to an annual cost to the U.S. economy of at least $7.3 billion.** The cost of lupus in terms of reduced quality of life is unknown. *Sources: G Gironimi et al. 1996. Arthritis & Rheumatism 39: 979-987. AE Clarke et al. 2000. Journal of Rheumatology 27: 2597-2604. Costs translated to 2002 U.S. dollars.  **Based on the conservative estimate of 270,000 people with SLE in the U.S.

Visit the Alliance for Lupus Research homepage