Diseases & Conditions
What is lupus?
Ask the doctor
Lupus is an autoimmune disease: the immune system — designed to protect our organs from foreign microbes and substances — has somehow been provoked to attack our organs. It is estimated that 1.5 million people in the United States have lupus. It can affect people from all walks of life, and is more common in people of African, Asian, or Native American backgrounds.
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