Does lupus shorten your life expectancy?

In severe cases, organs damage and failure can occur. Over 90 percent of people with lupus are women between the ages of 15 and 45. Historically, lupus caused people to die young, primarily from kidney failure. Today, with careful treatment, 80 to 90 percent of people with lupus can expect to live a normal lifespan.

Does lupus get worse with age?

With age, symptom activity with lupus often declines, but symptoms you already have may grow more severe. The accumulation of damage over years may result in the need for joint replacements or other treatments.

Can you live a full life with lupus?

With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease. However, for the majority of people living with the disease today, it will not be fatal.

Is lupus fatal if untreated?

If left untreated, it can put you at risk of developing life-threatening problems such as a heart attack or stroke. In many cases, lupus nephritis does not cause any noticeable symptoms.

Does lupus run in families?

The majority of lupus cases that develop are what is called sporadic, however—that is, no known relative has the disease. Although when lupus develops in people with no family history of lupus, there are likely to be other autoimmune diseases in some family members.

What’s worse MS or lupus?

In general, lupus does more generalized damage to your body than MS, which primarily damages the nervous system.

What is the life expectancy of someone with lupus?

Thanks to advances over the past two decades, more than 95 percent of people with lupus survive 10 years or more, with the majority achieving a normal lifespan. Lupus was once much more deadly.

How can lupus kill you?

Because it can lead to cardiovascular disease, lupus can kill women in their 20s by causing heart attacks and strokes, Gilkeson said. People with lupus also can die at young ages due to infections that are related to the immune-suppressing drugs taken to control the disease.

What is it like to live with someone with lupus?

Living With Lupus. For those living with lupus, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy organs and tissues, life includes chronic inflammation and pain (of the skin, joints, brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and blood cells).