| HEALTH STATUS - Morbidity |
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which the body harms its own healthy cells and tissues. SLE ranges in severity from mild to severe and can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. It is characterized by flares of activity and periods of improvement or remission. Diagnosis of lupus is complicated by vague, nonspecific symptoms that can be confused with other conditions and the absence of a definitive diagnostic test. However, the most common symptoms include extreme fatigue, swollen joints, unexplained fever, skin rashes, and kidney problems.
An estimated 500,000 to 1.5 million Americans have lupus and 16,000 develop lupus each year.(1) Lupus is three times more common in African American women than in Caucasian women and is also more common in women of Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent.(2) More than 85 percent of lupus patients are women.(3)
The exact cause of lupus is unknown, but heredity, environment and hormonal changes may be involved. While there is no cure for lupus, it can be treated with appropriate drugs and many people with the condition lead active, healthy lives.
1 - Lahita RG. Causes, Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment. Lupus Foundation of America. http://www.lupus.org/info/general.html
2 - National Institute of Arthritis and Muscoloskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Handout on Health: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. http://niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/lupus/slehandout/index.htm
3 - American College of Rheumatology. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, 2000. http://www.rheumatology.org/patients/factsheet/sle.html.