Who Are More Susceptible To Lupus? And How It Affects People Of Different Races
Insights from epidemiology studies
‘Lupus,’ derived from the Latin word for ‘wolf,’ was once used to describe skin lesions that resemble a wolf’s bite. Today, it refers to an autoimmune disease where the immune system goes awry: B cells lose control, neutrophils turn aggressive, and the immune complement cells become overly affectionate. This leads to symptoms like skin rashes, joint pain, and kidney injuries, which can appear in response to triggers like sunlight or viral infections.
Lupus can either be organ-specific or systemic. For example, when the immune system targets the skin, it’s called cutaneous lupus; when it affects the kidneys, it’s termed lupus nephritis. When it impacts multiple organs, it’s known as systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE.
Worldwide, an estimated 3.41 million people are currently living with SLE, and there are roughly 400,000 new diagnoses of SLE each year, averaging around 5.14 new cases per 100,000 individuals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes SLE as a rare disease. In the United States, a condition is considered rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 individuals, as outlined by the Rare Diseases Act of 2002.
