Read More There is a lot about lupus that is still a conundrum to us, said Dr. Karen H. Costenbader, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Lupus Program at Brigham and Women s Hospital in Boston. It s treatable, but it can still be very painful and challenging to overcome, said Costenbader, who is also chair of the Lupus Foundation of America s Medical-Scientific Advisory Council.
May 10 is World Lupus Day, and we recently caught up with Costenbader to learn more about the disease.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
CNN: What does it mean that lupus is an autoimmune disease?
WireImage
Lupus is unpredictable, triggering different symptoms in different patients. A chronic illness, it can even attack many different parts of the body.
The condition is an autoimmune disease, which means that a person’s immune system the body system that usually fights infections attacks healthy tissue instead. It can cause inflammation and pain anywhere in a patient’s body.
Because the illness can look different in every patient, it can go undetected and undiagnosed for years.
The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans and at least 5 million people worldwide have some form of lupus. There are four forms in all: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus confined to the skin, lupus caused by some prescription drugs and a rare lupus that affects infants of women with the disease.
World Lupus Federation Global Survey of People with Lupus Finds Half of Respondents Experienced a Decrease in Access to Healthcare During COVID-19 Pandemic
earlier than the general population
WASHINGTON, April 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ In a new global survey, more than 6,100 people with lupus from over 85 countries shared their recent experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and their views of the COVID-19 vaccines. Half (50%) of the survey participants reported decreased access to at least one aspect of lupus healthcare during the last three months, including decreased access to their lupus doctor/rheumatologist (36%), medical tests (29%), infusions for lupus treatment (24%) and lupus medications (17%).
The international survey conducted by the World Lupus Federation further outlines how those living with lupus have been uniquely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey also found that 10% of those surveyed have been infected with COVID-19, well above the global average of co
Lupus Foundation of America Congratulates Aurinia Pharmaceuticals on FDA Approval of Lupkynis™ (voclosporin) to Treat Lupus Nephritis
First FDA-approved oral treatment for lupus nephritis represents a significant milestone for people living with lupus-related kidney disease, a leading cause of disability and mortality in lupus
News provided by
Share this article
Share this article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ For the second time in less than two months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new medication to treat adults with lupus nephritis (lupus-related kidney disease) in combination with a background immunosuppressive therapy regimen. Today, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announced they received authorization from the FDA to market Lupkynis™ (voclosporin), a first-ever oral therapy for lupus nephritis that blocks a protein in the immune system called calcineurin. The company previously had reported positive data from a late-stage clinical stu
Lupus Foundation of America : Sees Big Win with FDA Approval of Benlysta for Lupus Nephritis marketscreener.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from marketscreener.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.