Lupus and Its Prevalence in the United States Research Paper

Population of Interest and Condition

Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease with a varied clinical picture. It occurs due to a malfunction in the immune system, which entails attacking immune cells in the body’s tissues. Approximately 1.5 million Americans have some form of lupus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). This disease can affect anyone, but statistics say that 90% of people with lupus are women (Gianfrancesco et al., 2021). Most women with lupus are in their fertile age, 15-44 years old (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). This disease is one of the leading causes of death from internal factors for young women. In addition to directly increasing mortality and disability in this social group, lupus can negatively affect conception and gestation, adversely affecting the reproduction of the population as a whole.

Search Process

To search for relevant data, I turned to reliable sources that reflect up-to-date information on the state of the problem in the US in recent years. In the search, I was guided by such criteria as the source’s credibility and the availability of up-to-date statistical data that can be confirmed by evidence-based studies or literature reviews. The source citation index was also essential, reflecting the scientific community’s demand for the information provided. I was mainly looking for data obtained from studies of the female patient population. Outdated info published more than five years ago was excluded from the search.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) online database has become the leading resource for extracting statistical information. This source of information is recognized as authoritative, as it provides up-to-date information on the main groups of diseases and conditions related to health. In addition, the CDC is actively involved in the lupus problem in the USA, including sponsoring research activities in this area.

I can also name the online database of The Lupus Foundation of America. This organization provides research and develops information materials for medical staff and patients. Each information block on their website is accompanied by links to the sources used, which allows one to assess the reliability and relevance of the information. Finally, I got some important information from peer-reviewed journals, such as «Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America» and «Current Opinion in Rheumatology». Several interesting articles on the topic of disease statistics, mortality, and health disparities were used to write this research paper.

Health Information

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect various organs. Most people develop lupus between the ages of 15-44 («Lupus facts and statistics», n.d.). Approximately 16,000 people are affected annually in the United States, most of whom are women of childbearing age (Izmirly et al., 2021). Symptoms may vary depending on the severity and localization of the process. Still, most often, it is weakness, weight loss and appetite, hair loss, joint pain, and various disorders in the functioning of internal organs. Sometimes, lupus symptoms can mimic other diseases, making it difficult to make a differential diagnosis. Since this disease is autoimmune, a genetic predisposition is often cited among the immediate causes of its occurrence. Up to 20% of people diagnosed with lupus have relatives with the same diagnosis («Lupus facts and statistics», n.d.). Many genetic combinations have been identified as potentially responsible for predisposition to this disease. However, for its occurrence, a specific stimulus is needed, for example, hormonal changes or stress.

Research Findings

Although lupus can affect anyone, it is more common among African American and Latina women. The risks of getting sick for such women are 2-3 times higher than for representatives of other races and nationalities (Drenkard & Lim, 2019). In a study of deaths from lupus in the USA, Black women were found to be much more likely to die from complications associated with the disease. This health disparity is partly because lupus is much more aggressive among Black women and because such patients receive less quality medical care and social support (Arora & Yazdany, 2020). For these patients, the time from symptom onset to diagnosis may be prolonged due to the unavailability of quality medical care and other medical reasons that delay diagnosis and treatment. Improving these patients’ access to medical care and increasing medical personnel’s awareness about the risks in this group should help reduce disparity.

Cultural and ethnic diversity affects other aspects of healthy living, including nutrition. There is evidence of a positive effect of Omega-3 (n −3) polyunsaturated fatty acids on the physical condition of patients with lupus. However, representatives of national minorities in the USA, on average, consume less of these substances than White people (Charoenwoodhipong et al., 2020). This may be due to both low incomes and cultural dietary preferences. In a cross-sectional study of 456 participants with multicultural backgrounds, a strong correlation was demonstrated between regular dietary intake of n − 3 FAs and lower self-reported severity of lupus symptoms (Drenkard & Lim, 2019). Based on these data, nutritional recommendations have been developed and distributed to patients to help improve the nutrition and well-being of patients, including Women of Color.

Authoritative sources pay great attention to the current health disparities associated with lupus. Since these issues directly affect patients’ quality of life and survival, current treatment guidelines contain instructions for correcting these problems. For example, the American College of Rheumatology guidelines indicate the need for early diagnosis and improved detection of lupus symptoms in all risk groups («American College of Rheumatology», n.d.). Current Nutritional guidelines provide correct dietary regimens suitable for various categories of patients (Karnal et al., 2020). Bridging the differences between patient groups is an essential task that will help improve the lupus situation in the USA.

References

Clinical Support. (n.d.). American College of Rheumatology. Web.

Arora, S., & Yazdany, J. (2020). Use of quality measures to identify disparities in health care for systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, 46(4), 623–638. Web.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Lupus awareness. Web.

Charoenwoodhipong, P., Harlow, S. D., Marder, W., Hassett, A. L., McCune, W. J., Gordon, C., Helmick, C. G., Barbour, K. E., Wang, L., Mancuso, P., Somers, E. C., & Zick, S. M. (2020). Dietary omega polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and patient‐reported outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: The Michigan Lupus Epidemiology and surveillance program. Arthritis Care & Research, 72(7), 874–881. Web.

Drenkard, C., & Lim, S. S. (2019). Update on lupus epidemiology: Advancing health disparities research through the study of minority populations. Current Opinion in Rheumatology, 31(6), 689–696. Web.

Gianfrancesco, M. A., Dall’Era, M., Murphy, L. B., Helmick, C. G., Li, J., Rush, S., Trupin, L., & Yazdany, J. (2021). Mortality among minority populations with systemic lupus erythematosus, including Asian and Hispanic/latino persons — California, 2007–2017. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(7), 236–239. Web.

Izmirly, P. M., Parton, H., Wang, L., McCune, W. J., Lim, S. S., Drenkard, C., Ferucci, E. D., Dall’Era, M., Gordon, C., Helmick, C. G., & Somers, E. C. (2021). Prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in the United States: Estimates from a meta‐analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Lupus registries. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 73(6), 991–996. Web.

Karnal, E. M., Fabian, J., Carlesso, L. C., & Gelinski, J. M. (2020). Primary nutritional guidance at systemic lupus erythematosus. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 10–19. Web.

Lupus facts and statistics. (n.d.). Lupus Foundation of America. Web.