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What is Lupus and who gets it? |
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Written by LUISA Project Administrator
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Thursday, 13 May 2004 |
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Lupus is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory multi-system disease of unknown cause. Most commonly it occurs in women during the childbearing years, ages 15-45. Women are affected ten times more often than men in this age group. However, younger and older individuals can develop lupus, but when children or those over 45 have lupus women are affected only two times as often as men. The disease is commoner in Orientals and Blacks.
Although the cause of lupus is not known, there is a genetic predisposition to developing an autoimmune disease such as lupus. Lupus can present with symptoms for the first time in the setting of an environment trigger such as an infection, medication, or sun exposure. These triggers can also cause a flare of lupus in those with the established disease. But most of the time, we cannot identify the specific trigger for an individual patient. Sex hormones, such as estrogen, likely contribute to the appearance of the disease in the susceptible host. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 September 2007 )
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