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Advocates and LFA members will travel together to Capitol Hill to meetwith members of Congress. The goal is to personally inform them howdebilitating lupus can be and to urge them to allocate more funds for lupusresearch and education. 91 participants, including students from SpringfieldHigh School and St. Hilary's School will be meeting with the legislators.
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Medical research leads to the discovery of new, safer, and more effectivetreatments for lupus, and ultimately a cure. There has been no new drugapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat lupus in nearly 40years. Many current drug treatments for lupus have toxic side effects that canbe almost as harmful as the disease itself. With more research there is morehope.
It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of all people with theautoimmune disease lupus, and as many as two-thirds of all children withlupus, will develop kidney complications that require medical evaluation andtreatment.
March is National Kidney Month and the LFA is using the observance to callattention to this serious and potentially life-threatening complication oflupus.
Dr. James Tumlin is Director of the Southeast Renal Research Institute inCharlotte, NC, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of NorthCarolina, Charlotte, focusing upon clinical and translational research inrenal disease.
SLESH (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Self-Help) Course
This seven-week program is free of charge and is designed to teach peoplewith lupus how to take a more active part in their health care and live betterwith this chronic disease.
Each weekly session is facilitated by a team of trained volunteers andwill include topics such as basic medical information about lupus, medicationsand treatments, exercise, doctor-patient communication, fatigue management andrelaxation and stress management techniques. Pre-registration is required.
World Lupus Day Awareness Rally
Join Sheldon Brown, #24 of the Philadelphia Eagles, and other specialguests, as they join us in our efforts to raise awareness of this disease.World Lupus Day is Saturday, May 10, 2008. The local celebration is observedon Thursday, May 8th! Bring your lunch and enjoy live music, educationalbooths and other surprises!
14th Annual Lupus Links Golf Tournament
Come join celebrity golfer Sheldon Brown and other golf enthusiasts asthey spend a beautiful summer day on a new course. Sponsorship opportunitiesare available.
The cause of lupus is unknown, though researchers believe lupus has agenetic basis and certain environmental influences can trigger diseaseactivity in individuals predisposed to lupus. There is no cure for lupus, butmedications are prescribed that can control the disease in most individuals.Unfortunately, current therapies for lupus can be toxic, causing other healthproblems, and no new medicines have been approved specifically to treat lupussymptoms in more than thirty years. But new research offers hope that saferand more effective
