Death rates from lupus have fallen much more slowly than those of other diseases over the past five decades but also vary greatly based on where patients live, according to a study published Monday.
Between 1968 and 2013, death rates from nonlupus diseases decreased by 44 percent, but those from lupus fell by only 24 percent over the same period, says the study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Ram Singh, one of the study’s lead researchers, expressed surprise over the findings, saying he was “most disturbed that lupus death rate relative to death rate due to all other causes (the ratio) is actually 35% higher in 2013 than in 1968.”
“Based on our experience in the clinic and according to previous reports showing improvement in the short-term (5 to 10 year) survival in lupus, I was expecting to see a greater decrease in lupus mortality rate over time,” Dr. Singh said in an email to The Washington Times.
Between 350,000 and 1.5 million Americans are believed to be affected by the chronic autoimmune disease, which can produce severe fatigue, arthritis and headaches as well as organ failure affecting the brain, kidneys, lungs or liver.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women are nine times more likely than men to have lupus, which is three times more likely to be diagnosed in minority women than whites.
Lupus remains difficult to diagnose as it turns the immune system in on itself and attacks the body, creating an array of symptoms.
Dr. Singh, a rheumatologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and his researchers also found significant differences in lupus death rates based on location that weren’t affected by race.
“It is known for quite some time that African-Americans have higher death rates from lupus, but now this study tells us not only that, but also where they live,” Dr. Singh said.
He noted that exposure to ultraviolet light exacerbates lupus, particularly in the southern and western parts of the U.S. These factors also may be compounded by socioeconomic status or whether patients have access to proper medical care, he added.
“But we don’t know the answer to those questions, not yet,” Dr. Singh said, adding that more research is needed to improve understanding of risk factors and create more treatment options for patients.
Currently, there are only two FDA-approved medications for treatment of lupus and other treatment options including corticosteroid shots and other symptom management.
“Beyond that there is a lot of research trying to understand the genes that are involved in lupus, research trying to understand different parts of the immune system. I think in the next few years we are going to see new medications for lupus,” Dr. Singh said.
Over the summer, singer-actress Selena Gomez underwent a kidney transplant because of complications from lupus.
In an interview Monday on NBC’s “Today” show, she revealed that she was only weeks away from needing to go on dialysis when her best friend volunteered to be tested as a kidney donor and was found to be a match.
“I guess I got to the point where it was, it was really kind of life or death,” said Miss Gomez, 25. “It’s really hard to think about or even to swallow especially now that as soon as I got the kidney transplant, my arthritis went away, my lupus — there is a 3 [percent] to 5 percent chance it will ever come back, my blood pressure is better, my energy and my life has been better.”
She said she shared her battle with the disease with her 128 million followers on Instagram to help raise awareness about lupus.
“I just really hope that we can help somebody. I really do,” she said.
• Laura Kelly can be reached at lkelly@washingtontimes.com.
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