Anyone can get lupus. About 9 out of 10 adults with lupus are women ages 15 to 45. African-American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. Lupus is also more common in Latina, Asian, and Native American women. Men are at a higher risk before puberty and after age 50.
Despite an increase in lupus in men in these age groups, two-thirds of the people who have lupus before puberty and after age 50 are women.
Lupus affects young women most More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women between the ages of 15 and 45. African-American, Latina, Asian, and Native American women are at greater risk of getting lupus than white women.
African-Americans and Latinos tend to get lupus at a younger age and have more severe symptoms, including kidney problems. African-Americans with lupus also have more problems with seizures, strokes, and dangerous swelling of the heart muscle. Latina patients have heart problems as well. Scientists believe that genes play a role in how lupus affects these ethnic groups.
Apart from genetic factors, lupus can be more severe for people who aren't getting the care they need. studies have shown that people with lupus who have a lower household income, lower level of education, or less of a support system tend to do worse with the disease. For some people with lupus, severe symptoms of the disease leave them unable to work, which may result in low income and lack of health insurance. These factors make it hard for a person with lupus to get the right treatment or sometimes even diagnosis that they need.
SOURCE:
womenshealth.gov
