Lupus Health Center

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In a few cases, kidney problems are so severe that the kidneys stop working properly or fail completely. Depending on how severe kidney damage is, treatment can include strong medicines to control the lupus, kidney dialysis, or a kidney transplant.

Heart problems

Heart problems caused by lupus include:⁶

• Inflammation of the sac around the heart (pericarditis), the most common lupus-related heart problem.
• Hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. People with lupus are at increased risk of developing plaque deposits in arteries (atherosclerosis) that may cause coronary artery disease. They are also likely to develop plaque deposits at an earlier age than people without lupus.
• Diseases of the heart valves. A few people with lupus may have slightly thickened heart valves, which makes them more susceptible to infections of the damaged valves (endocarditis), blood clots, or heart failure. Some people with damaged heart valves may need surgery to replace the valves.
• Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), which is uncommon but may lead to problems with the heartbeat or heart muscle. The heart may beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly.

Lung problems

About 1 in 3 people with lupus develop inflammation of the tissue around the lungs.⁴ Sometimes this causes no symptoms, and at other times it causes painful breathing, coughing, or chest pain that is worse with a deep breath (pleurisy). Many people with lupus have chest pain when they breathe. When this pain is not caused by pleurisy, it is commonly caused by inflammation of the chest muscle, cartilage, or ligaments, or of the joints that connect the ribs to the breastbone (costochondral joints). In these cases, the lungs may not be affected.

Less common lung problems associated with lupus include fever, cough, and inflammation of the lung tissue (acute lupus pneumonitis). Some people with lupus produce an antibody that causes their blood to clot more easily (antiphospholipid antibody). These people may be at risk of clots developing in the lung (pulmonary emboli). An unusual complication is buildup of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), caused by heart or kidney problems.

Blood-related problems

Blood-related problems are common in people who have lupus, but they do not always cause detectable symptoms. These problems, which in a few cases are severe and even life-threatening, include:

• Changes in red blood cells, which carry oxygen; white blood cells, which fight infection; and platelets, which help the blood clot.
• Anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia), low white blood cell count (leukopenia), or low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Anemia can be caused by both lupus and the medicines used to treat it.
• Changes in organs related to circulation, such as the spleen or lymph nodes.
• Production of antibodies that attack certain blood-clotting factors, causing the blood to clot easily. These antibodies are produced by about 1 in 3 people with lupus.⁴ They can cause a condition, called antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, which can lead to mild or severe blood-clotting complications.

Nervous system problems