Does lupus always lead to death? How long can remissions occur?

Question

I lost a friend to this disease. It had skipped a generation in her family, so at first they didn't know what it was.

Answer 1

Lupus is not a universally fatal disease. In fact, today with close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of the people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. Lupus does vary in intensity and degree, however, and there are people who have a mild case, there are those who have a moderate case and there are some who have a severe case of lupus, which tends to be more difficult to treat and bring under control. For people who have a severe flare-up, there is a greater chance that their lupus may be life-threatening. We know that some people do die of this disease and because of that we have a tremendous amount of respect for the potential of this disease. However, the majority of people living with lupus today can expect to live a normal lifespan.

People frequently read in the literature that, 80-90% of people with lupus live for more than ten years. Unfortunately, this is often misinterpreted as- people with lupus live for only ten years. Let us clarify this.

It is important to understand that the "10 years" does not represent the number of years the person will live, but rather the number of years involved in the study. The studies followed patients with lupus from the time of diagnosis for a period of ten years. At the end of this research period they were able to conclude that 80-90% of the people enrolled were still alive. What this study did not look at is what happened in year 11, 12, 15, 20 and so on. We know there are many people who have been living with lupus for 15, 19, 25, 30 and 40 years. This is not a disease that is universally fatal to all. The majority of people with lupus today can expect to live a normal lifespan.


Prolonged remission, that is, no evidence of disease activity or treatment for at least five consecutive years, is rare in patients with lupus, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando, Florida.


A study of 704 patients with lupus was undertaken to determine the likelihood of prolonged remission in lupus and to assess what, if any, shared characteristics or features could be identified among patients in sustained remission. Study participants were drawn from the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic Database of patients registered between 1970 and 1997, who were followed at the Clinic at least every 18 months. Of these, 12 patients achieved prolonged remission. Investigators looked at the entire study population at the time of disease presentation to the Clinic, and there were no statistically significant differences between the 12 patients with prolonged remission and the rest of the group. The only statistically significant differences between the prolonged remission group and the remainder of the study population were that at any time leading up to the period of remission, those patients in prolonged remission were less likely to have been on corticosteroid or immunosuppressant therapy, to be anti dsDNA antibody positive (a blood test which indicates the presence of active lupus) and in addition, they had a lower level of disease activity over time.

Answer 2

Death From Lupus

Answer 3

Lupus Death

Answer 4

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RE:
Does lupus always lead to death? How long can remissions occur?
I lost a friend to this disease. It had skipped a generation in her family, so at first they didn't know what it was.

Answer 5

No, it doesn't always lead to death. It can be managed medically. And remissions can occur for no reason anyone can identify and can last a long time. The bad news about lupus is that it does run in families, as you've seen.

Answer 6

As a lupus patient myself, I can say it is considered a chronic and progressive, but not fatal, disease. It is generally the complications of the disease process that cause death - for example, nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) or pleurisy (inflammation of the lungs).
For more detailed information, please read the following. I too thought I had been handed a death sentence when the doctor said the dreaded l-word. Now I realize it's not that simple, thank heavens. I'm grateful for every day. Good luck.

Answer 7

I have Lupus (sle) and no it does not always lead to death. It depends on what type of Lupus a person has and how aggressive it is. Each type is different and treatments vary from person to person.

Answer 8

I friend of mine has Lupus, she was diagnosed after her 2nd son was born. She was feeling so bad, she could not even hold the little guy. She went to doctors who blew her off saying it was post-partum depression.

Finally, she saw someone who diagnosed her, she has had several really bad flare-ups, take much medication. A lot of steroids.

But her son is now a senior in high school, she is a full time teacher.

Stress definitely affects her.

Answer 9

no not always i know ppl that survived