Article for June, 2005
Lupus and Heart Disease: Alerting Young Women to the Dangers of Lupus
By Margaret Dowd, President of the Lupus Research Institute
Amy Thornton has been living with lupus for more than 20 years. Diagnosed at 14 after the appearance of a butterfly-shaped rash across the bridge of her nose, Amy's symptoms grew progressively more serious into her teens and twenties. Two years ago, at age 36, Amy had a heart attack, a result of premature coronary artery disease. Since then, she has had four angioplasties to reopen clogged arteries.
Amy is just one of over 1 million women in America who face the challenges of a life with lupus—a chronic autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s own healthy tissues and organs. While the course and severity of the disease varies from patient to patient, lupus can lead to potentially fatal complications. For women between the ages of 15 and 44, the age-range when lupus typically strikes, facing the challenges of a life with lupus means having to confront the very real possibility of suffering from a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure at an unusually young age. In fact, premature heart disease is the third most common cause of death for women with lupus.
Because lupus is one of America’s least recognized major diseases, the Lupus Research Institute recently launched a new public service campaign to alert the public to the dangers of lupus and encourage early diagnosis and prompt treatment. The PSA encourages women to “Get into the Loop” about lupus: to protect themselves by knowing the symptoms, getting the facts, and seeking help from a health professional.
This health article is brought to you by our Featured Health Article of the month:
Margaret Dowd
President of the Lupus Research Institute
Margaret Dowd is president of the Lupus Research Institute (LRI), the national nonprofit organization at the forefront of innovation in lupus research. Ms. Dowd is one of the nation's leading advocates for people with lupus, devoting more than 10 years to raising public awareness of the disease, advancing lupus research throughout the country, and supporting patients and their families.
Read the rest of this month's article, Lupus and Heart Disease: Alerting Young Women to the Dangers of Lupus.
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Last updated: May, 2005
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