Lupus Health Center

News and Features Related to Lupus

Lupus May Lessen Sense of Smell

May 7, 2006 -- People with lupus may be more likely to have a diminished sense of smell, a new study says. The finding may be significant, Israeli researchers say, because a loss of smell could be a symptom that would help doctors make an earlier diagnosis of lupus and other diseases. Olfactory dysf
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Birth Control Pills May Raise Lupus Risk

April 13, 2009 -- Women who take birth control pills, especially higher-dose versions, may have an increased risk of getting lupus, an autoimmune disease, according to a new study. "Women who take oral contraceptives have a 50% higher risk of having lupus than women who don't take them," says study
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Eduardo Xol on Life, Balance, and His Sister’s Lupus

Landscaper/designer Eduardo Xol of the popular TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is all about balance: finding it for his own life and bringing it to the people he designs for. His second book, Extreme Entertaining Made Simple, in bookstores Nov. 4, communicates this reassuring philosophy. “I d
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Living With Lupus: Lenaki's Story

I had always been an athletic, healthy person, but in my late 30s my body started sending signals that something was wrong. I was tired all the time. I had no energy. I even started losing my hair. When I went to my doctor, the staff ran blood tests, but nothing ever pointed to a specific diagnosis.
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6 New Lupus Genes Found

Jan. 23, 2008 -- Lupus researchers have found six new genes that affect lupus risk -- and they suspect that that's just the tip of the iceberg. "Numerous" genes make systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) -- commonly called lupus -- more likely, and such discoveries may lead to new lupus treatments, the
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Fish Oil Supplements May Ease Lupus

Nov. 7, 2007 (Boston) -- Fish oil supplements may help improve the symptoms of lupus, according to new research presented at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting. What's more, the supplements also improve blood flow and blood vessel function in people with lupus who are known to be
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New Vaccine May Treat Lupus

Oct. 1, 2007 -- An experimental vaccine-like treatment helps prolong the lives of lab mice with lupus by targeting rogue immune cells linked to the disease. The treatment is a form of targeted immunotherapy, and a new study shows it prolonged the lives of mice with lupus by 10 months. Although the r
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Men's Lupus Treatment: Fertility Woes?

June 28, 2007 -- A new study shows a lupus treatment may lead to fertility problems in men. Researchers found sperm damage linked to infertility is common in men with lupus and appears to be related to a commonly used treatment for the disease. Because the disease tends to strike during the reproduc
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Risks for Pregnant Women With Lupus

Nov. 14, 2006 (Washington) -- Pregnant women who have lupus are at greater risk for serious complications -- including infection and death, according to the largest study ever to look at pregnancy outcomes in lupus patients. However, this sounds far worse than it is, experts tell WebMD. Such complic
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Genetic Markers Spotted for Lupus

Nov. 10, 2006 -- New research on the genetic roots of lupus may eventually lead to a blood test to help diagnose the disease. Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakes the body's connective tissue for a foreign invader and attacks it. The exact cause of lupus isn't known, bu
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