May 10: World Lupus Day
Today is ...
And even though I don't personally know anyone with lupus, this is kinda personal to me insofar that I come into contact with lupus at work every day. Most people will probably not know anything more about the disease than it being mentioned frequently on House, MD. It's an autoimmune disease that is (so far) uncurable, unpredictable and debilitating. Moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (or SLE) strongly affects the patients' every day lives and reduces life expectancy considerably. It occurs nine times more often in women than in men, especially in women aged 15 to 45.
Symptoms can vary greatly, from a rash to fatigue, joint inflammation and severe organ damage (often the heart and kidneys) or neuropsychiatric manifestations. It is usually the long-term organ damage that leads to these patients' death.
It is unknown what causes lupus, and treatment options are limited. Until just a few weeks ago when a new drug specifically for SLE was approved by the FDA, there have been no new lupus treatments approved in over 40 years. Most drugs available to treat lupus have severe side effects, especially if used over long periods of time.
Lupus is difficult to diagnose if you don't know what to look for. It is tricky to manage and, unless a patient presents with facial rash or hair loss, you usually cannot see on the outside that a patient has the disease.
If you've now become just a little bit curious, I recommend you check out the Lupus Foundation of America's website for more info.
And, no, I'm not a spokesperson for any lupus foundation or patient group. I'm just invested because I mostly like my job and what it will hopefully accomplish for patients suffering from severe diseases. And it can never hurt to raise awareness, so this is my contribution.
And even though I don't personally know anyone with lupus, this is kinda personal to me insofar that I come into contact with lupus at work every day. Most people will probably not know anything more about the disease than it being mentioned frequently on House, MD. It's an autoimmune disease that is (so far) uncurable, unpredictable and debilitating. Moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (or SLE) strongly affects the patients' every day lives and reduces life expectancy considerably. It occurs nine times more often in women than in men, especially in women aged 15 to 45.
Symptoms can vary greatly, from a rash to fatigue, joint inflammation and severe organ damage (often the heart and kidneys) or neuropsychiatric manifestations. It is usually the long-term organ damage that leads to these patients' death.
It is unknown what causes lupus, and treatment options are limited. Until just a few weeks ago when a new drug specifically for SLE was approved by the FDA, there have been no new lupus treatments approved in over 40 years. Most drugs available to treat lupus have severe side effects, especially if used over long periods of time.
Lupus is difficult to diagnose if you don't know what to look for. It is tricky to manage and, unless a patient presents with facial rash or hair loss, you usually cannot see on the outside that a patient has the disease.
If you've now become just a little bit curious, I recommend you check out the Lupus Foundation of America's website for more info.
And, no, I'm not a spokesperson for any lupus foundation or patient group. I'm just invested because I mostly like my job and what it will hopefully accomplish for patients suffering from severe diseases. And it can never hurt to raise awareness, so this is my contribution.