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Lupus

Contents of this Article

What is Lupus? Who Gets Lupus? Less Common Types of Lupus Causes of Lupus Symptoms of Lupus Diagnosing Lupus What are Flares?

Treating Lupus Lupus a Concern for Women Pregnancy and Women With Lupus Research Being Done on Lupus For More Information About Lupus Coping with Lupus

Why is Lupus a Concern for Women?
Nine out of 10 people who have lupus are women. And lupus is most common in women of childbearing years. Having lupus increases your risk of developing other health problems that are common in women. It can also cause these diseases to occur earlier in life:

• Heart Disease
  When you have lupus you are at increased risk for the main type of heart disease, called coronary artery disease (CAD). This is partly because people with lupus have more CAD risk factors, which may include:
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • High cholesterol levels
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • An inactive lifestyle due to fatigue, joint problems, and/or muscle pain
  Heart disease is the number one killer of all women. But, women with lupus are 50 times more likely to have chest pain or a heart attack than other women of the same age.
• Osteoporosis (pronounced OSS-tee-oh-puh-ROH-suhss)
  Women with lupus have more bone loss and breaks than other women. This is thought to happen because some medicines used to treat lupus cause bone loss. Bone loss also may occur as a direct result of the disease. Also, pain and fatigue can keep women with lupus from exercising. Keeping active is an important way to keep bones healthy and strong.

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References:
1) The National Women's Health Information Center - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office on Women's Health - May 2008 - www.4woman.gov
2) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) - Information Clearinghouse - National Institutes of Health - Department of Health and Human Services - NIH Publication No. 03-4178 - September 1997 - Revised August 2003 - www.niams.nih.gov

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