Young, Black Women may be at a Higher Risk for Lupus

A recent study shows that young, black women may be at a higher risk for lupus.

According to researchers at the University of Michigan, experiencing the disease earlier in life can mean living with the condition for a long amount of time and also holds a higher degree of serious health complications, including kidney failure that may require dialysis or a transplant.

Background information from the study notes that lupus prevalence was three times higher than previous estimates, reaching one in 537 black female Michiganders in the region, compared to one in 1,153 white women.

Researchers examined a close to a quarter of the state's population, which is part of a landmark epidemiology study that focuses on a chronic, autoimmune disease that is responsible for swollen joints, hair loss, anemia, rashes, and abnormal blood clotting, as well as fatigue and frequent headaches.  

Serious organ damage can also result, involving the kidneys, brain or creating cardiovascular complications for the sufferer, and like most autoimmune diseases, the risk is higher among females than males.

The study involved roughly 2.4 million residents in Wayne and Washtenaw counties between 202 and 2004, with the help of a $3 million grant from the CDC that allowed study authors to research risk factors for the disease, including both environmental and genetic factors.

Findings were based on data collected from a health initiative in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Community Health and a sister project from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Findings showed that the incidence rate for lupus was up to three times higher for black women than white women in Georgia, as well.

"There is a very poor understanding of what causes lupus. Identifying the population and dynamics involved helps us target our resources more effectively and better recognize risk factors for the development and progression of the disease," lead author Emily Somers, Ph.D., Sc.M, an assistant professor in the departments of Internal Medicine in the division of Rheumatology, Environmental Health Sciences, and Obstetrics & Gynecology at the U-M Medical and Public Health Schools said, via a press release. "We found a striking health disparity between black and white women. The disproportionate burden of disease was compounded by the fact that for black females, peak risk of developing lupus occurred in young adulthood while the risk of disease among white women was spread out more evenly through mid-adulthood and tended to be less severe.

"Lupus onset occurring before or during reproductive years can have significant implications for childbearing and risks in pregnancy, and of course may lead to a higher burden of health issues over the lifespan."

"Our findings compel us to develop practices to improve screening for kidney disease among high-risk populations in order to better treat the condition and improve health outcomes for people with this chronic disease," Somers adds.

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More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.