Anyone can contract the illness, though it’s most common among those between 15 and 44. Women are a greater risk than men, and African-American women have the highest risk of all.
Researchers don’t know why, nor do they know what causes it in the first place. And there’s another problem: people often go for years without knowing they have it. That’s because it’s a complex diagnosis and there isn’t one test that’s always conclusive. Early symptoms are similar to the flu: fatigue, weakness and sporadic joint pain. But with lupus, patients often also get a rash that spreads across the nose and cheeks.
If you think you might have lupus, talk to your doctor. Early treatment is important, and promising new drugs are expected within five years.
