Poll Shows Group Most at Risk for Lupus Knows the Least About Its Dangers; October Is National Lupus Awareness Month

8/28/2002

From: Duane Peters of the Lupus Foundation of America, 301-670-9292, ext. 17, peters@lupus.org

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 28 -- Although 1.4 million Americans, mostly women, have a form of lupus, public recognition and understanding of the autoimmune disease remains low, according to a recent survey conducted for the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA).

The survey revealed that adults ages 18 to 34 have the lowest awareness of the serious impact that lupus could have on the body, even though eight of ten new cases develop among women of childbearing age. Due to public ignorance of lupus, the LFA believes that many young women suffer for years not knowing why they are always so sick.

October is National Lupus Awareness Month, and the Lupus Foundation of America and its nationwide network of chapters and support groups are stepping up their efforts to educate the public about the impact lupus can have on the body.

To obtain a copy of the Lupus Awareness Month press kit, contact Duane Peters, VP for Advocacy and Communications, at 301-670-9292, ext. 17 - e-mail peters@lupus.org. For more information about lupus, visit the LFA web site at http://www.lupus.org.

-- Lupus is a potentially life-threatening disease that causes the immune system to attack the body's own cells and tissue.

-- It is a significant women's health issue that no one is talking about, contributing to the lack of public knowledge about the disease.

-- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a report that shows deaths attributed to lupus have risen over the past twenty years, especially among older black women. African Americans are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians.

-- The key to controlling the disease and preventing or minimizing damage to vital organs is early diagnosis. Improved awareness of lupus symptoms will cause more people with undiagnosed lupus to seek medical evaluation.

-- There is no cure for lupus, but if diagnosed early, medications can reduce inflammation and control the disease in most patients.

The LFA is the nation's leading nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to lupus, and operates programs of education, awareness, support, advocacy, and research. The LFA provides medically sound information to people with lupus and their families, doctors and other health care professionals, and the public.