Graduate Project - Treatment and Prognosis

Hello everyone,

So as the semester comes to a close and we look back, we have discussed and learned a lot about Systemic Lupus Erythrematosus. We’ve learned about the different types, the many and varying symptoms, the diagnosis,, we’ve even learned the many people that we know that are sufferers of the disease. Now it’s time we chat a little about treatment and prognosis.

Treatment

As we know there is no cure for SLE so the goal of treatment is to control symptoms. Treatment decisions are based on symptoms and the severity of those symptoms.

Mild disease may be treated with:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) treat arthritis and pleurisy


• Corticosteroid creams to treat skin rashes


• An antimalaria drug (hydroxychloroquine) and low-dose corticosteroids for skin and arthritis symptoms


• You should wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen when in the sun.

Treatment for more severe lupus may include:

• High-dose corticosteroids or medications to decrease the immune system response


• Cytotoxic drugs (drugs that block cell growth)

Also, it is important to have preventive heart care, up-to-date immunizations, tests to screen for thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), and therapy and support groups which may help relieve depression and mood changes that may occur in patients with this disease.

Prognosis

SLE is one of the most serious rheumatic diseases and it can affect so many organs that a cause of death in some people with SLE may not be directly attributed to the condition. In fact, a primary cause of death among patients with lupus is atherosclerosis which is a disease of the coronary blood vessels resulting from accelerated buildup of plaque. Never the less because of more effective and aggressive treatment, the prognosis for SLE has improved markedly over the past two decades. Only three drugs were FDA-approved for the treatment of lupus (Prednisone, Aspirin, Hydroxychloroquine) until the 2011 FDA approval of belimumab so advances are being made. It has been seen that treatment early in the course of the illness improves long-term progress. About 85 - 95% of people with lupus survive 10 years and most people with lupus can live normal lives as longs as the disorder is carefully monitored and treatment adjusted as necessary to prevent serious complications.

So, there has been a lot of information shared and now it’s time to put it all to the test. This blog post is what I like to call "SLE Review"!!! Below you will find a crossword puzzle that all about Lupus. If you dare try it out. Test your knowledge and see how much you’ve learned so far.

I hope that you have found this information that I shared on Lupus not only informative but interesting.

Thanks for reading and good luck!