Lupus is one of America's least recognized major diseases. More than 1.5 million Americans have lupus. In fact, more Americans have lupus than cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, or AIDS, making it one of this country's most prevalent medical problems.

However, while lupus is widespread, awareness and accurate knowledge about it lag behind many other illnesses. Lupus is on the rise, and scientists don't know exactly why.

What Exactly Is Lupus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (S.L.E.), commonly called lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disorder that can affect virtually any organ of the body. In lupus, the body's immune system, which normally functions to protect against foreign invaders, becomes hyperactive, forming antibodies that attack normal tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and blood. Lupus is characterized by periods of illness, called flares, and periods of wellness, or remission.

Because its symptoms come and go and mimic those of other diseases, lupus is difficult to diagnose. There is no single laboratory test that can definitively prove that a person has the complex illness.

Read more about lupus symptoms and lupus diagnosis.

Other Types of Lupus

Although the broad term "lupus" usually refers to S.L.E., this is only one type of the illness. There are two other types of lupus:

• Discoid lupus erythematosus, which mainly affects the skin. The symptoms of this form of lupus include a rash on the face, scalp, or elsewhere. The rash may last for days or years, and can recur.
• Drug-induced lupus, which is triggered by certain medications, but usually goes away when the medicine is stopped. The symptoms in this form of lupus may be milder.

Read more about lupus symptoms.

The Importance of Early Detection and Treatment

Lupus is unpredictable, highly individualized, hard to live with—and sometimes fatal. To date, there is no known cause or cure. However, early detection and treatment can usually lessen the progression and severity of the debilitating disease.

Anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-malarials, and steroids (such as cortisone and others) are often used to treat lupus. Cytotoxic chemotherapies, similar to those used in the treatment of cancer, are also used to suppress the immune system in lupus patients.

Read more about lupus diagnosis and lupus treatments.

Statistics Reveal Risk Factors for Lupus

A recent report from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed a 60 to 70 percent upsurge in lupus deaths between 1979 and 1989. Each year during the study period, death rates were more than five times higher for women than for men, and more than three times higher for African Americans than for Caucasians. Lupus is also more common among Latino, Asian, and Native American women.

Ninety percent of lupus victims are women, and the onset of the disease usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 44. Lupus is also a leading cause of kidney disease, stroke, and premature cardiovascular disease in women of childbearing age. Unfortunately, statistics predict that 5 percent of children born to Lupus-diagnosed mothers will eventually develop the disease themselves.

Read more about who gets lupus.