Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease in which many different organs can be involved.
Symptoms include fevers, rashes, arthritis, kidney failure, anemia and neurological syndromes.
Lupus patients have high rates of accelerated heart disease and strokes, osteoporosis, miscarriages, pre-eclampsia, and other problems in pregnancy.
9 of 10 cases of lupus occur in young women of childbearing age, with enormous social and financial impact.
Lupus is challenging to manage and experts have been shown to provide better care and improve outcomes.
Coordinated care by multiple providers in disparate disciplines, as well as improving patient education, self-confidence and social support have also been shown to improve disease outcomes.
What is lupus? What are its symptoms? Who does it affect? Karen Costenbader, MD, MPH, Rheumatologist and Director of the Lupus Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School, explains what causes lupus flare-ups and how it is treated.
