Facts About Lupus

• Lupus is not infectious, rare, or cancerous or AIDS
• Researchers do not know what causes lupus.
• There is currently no single test that can definitely say whether a person has lupus or not.
• More than half of the people with lupus suffer four or more years and visit three or more doctors before receiving a correct diagnosis.
• While scientists believe there is a genetic predisposition to the disease, it is known that environmental factors also play a role in triggering the disease.
• Some of the factors that may trigger lupus include infections, antibiotics, ultraviolet light, extreme stress, certain drugs, and hormones.
• Hormonal factors may explain why lupus occurs more frequently in females than in males.
• Lupus affects women about 8 to 10 times as often as men and often occurs around the ages of 18 to 45.
• Women with lupus have a five- to ten-fold increased risk of coronary heart disease.
• Approximately 70% of lupus cases are systemic. In about 50% of these cases, a major organ will be affected.
• The treatment of lupus aims to suppress the overactive immune system & diminish any inflammation.