The prognosis of lupus is better today than ever before. With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease.
For people with lupus, some treatments can increase the risk of developing potentially fatal infections. However, the majority of people with lupus can expect a normal or near-normal life expectancy. Research has shown that many people with a lupus diagnosis have been living with the disease for up to 40 years.
Although lupus affects people of all ages, it's most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45.
The technical term for the process of aging on a person's immune response is immunosenescence. Individuals with lupus may be particularly vulnerable to some of the effects of aging. Some scientists have even theorized that lupus may actually be the result of a premature aging process happening at the microscopic level.
Lupus nephritis tends to develop within 5 years of the appearance of initial lupus symptoms. The condition affects about 40% of people who have SLE and can lead to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in 22% of patients over a period of 15 years.
Overall, SLE gradually gets worse over time, and damage to the major organs of the body can be life-threatening.
With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span.
Lupus is a lifelong disease that can affect many parts of your life. But, many women with lupus live long, healthy lives. You can take steps to control your symptoms, prevent lupus flares, and cope with the challenges of lupus.
Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus.
Sunlight, stress, smoking, certain medicines, and viruses may trigger symptoms in people who are most likely to get lupus due to their genes. Hormones such as estrogen. Lupus is more common in women during their childbearing years when estrogen levels are highest. Problems with the immune system.
Jobs that require outdoor work or prolonged exposure to sunlight, such as farming, landscaping, or lifeguarding, may not be ideal for people with lupus. Jobs with exposure to chemicals: Some people with lupus may have sensitivities to certain chemicals or toxins, which can exacerbate their symptoms or trigger flares.
You should see your GP if you have persistent or troublesome symptoms that you think could be caused by SLE. While it is likely that your symptoms are being caused by a more common condition, it is important to see a doctor for a diagnosis.
Class 4, or diffuse lupus nephritis
Class 4 involves damage to more than half of the glomerulus. A person will have high blood pressure. They may require dialysis as kidney function begins to worsen.
The clinical features and serologic data were studied. Survival rate of SLE patients over time, living conditions, causes of death and prognostic indicators of mortality were studied. Results: The 10-, 15-and 20-year cumulative survival rate was 90.3%,88.1%and 79.6%, respectively.
Lupus is a chronic disease with no cure.
This means that you can manage it with treatment, but it will not go away. Treatment can help improve your symptoms, prevent flares, and prevent other health problems often caused by lupus. Your treatment will depend on your symptoms and needs.
It is vital that people living with SLE practice these habits along with getting 7-9 hours of sleep (a little more for children) in order to prevent lupus flares, limit fatigue, and keep the body's mechanisms healthy, especially the immune system.
In some people, lupus will flare, become inactive (quiescent), and go into remission—this course of the disease may or may not occur regularly throughout their life. In other people, lupus will remain in a chronic (long-lasting) state of activity. Some people will have fairly frequent flares of illness.
Approximately 85% of early-diagnosed patients survive 10 years and 75% – 20 years [2]. Many studies show that the quality of life in patients with SLE is lower than in general population, independently of variables: measurement instruments (SF36, SF20, SF20+, and QOLS), ethnic origin or the size of the study group [3].
Lupus is not a hereditary condition.
Between 30% to 50% of those diagnosed with lupus will develop kidney disease, also known as lupus nephritis, within the first six months to three years of their condition.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), also known as lupus, is a disease of the immune system, which is estimated to affect more than 20,000 people in Australia and New Zealand.