BOB DOUGHTY: High body temperature and pain in the elbows or knees are often signs of lupus. Other signs are red marks on the skin and lack of iron in the body. The person may also feel extremely tired.
At different times, the effects of lupus can be either mild or serious. The signs of the disease can come and go. This makes identifying the disease difficult. There is no single test to tell if someone has lupus. Many people with lupus also suffer from depression.
Lupus can lead to other health problems. Women with lupus are at greater risk of developing heart disease. And, between thirty and fifty percent of lupus patients will develop lupus-related kidney disease.
(MUSIC)
BARBARA KLEIN: Lupus affects an estimated one million five hundred thousand people in the United States. Experts are not sure what causes lupus. But the disease has been known to attack members of the same family.
The singer Lady Gaga announced earlier this month that she was tested for lupus. She told CNN television that the disease is genetic, and has affected members of her family. One of them is thought to have died from lupus. The singer said the testing shows that she is, in her words, borderline positive for the disease.
BOB DOUGHTY: Scientists have identified genes they believe are linked to lupus. They hope studying these genes more closely could help in development of new treatments for the disease, and possibly a cure. Recent studies also support a theory that a combination of genes is linked to the development of lupus.
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25