And, pregnancy complications higher among non-white patients with lupus
MONDAY, May 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Poverty and race are tied to the health of lupus patients in the United States, according to two new studies.
One study of 783 patients linked poverty to an increased risk of organ damage from the disease. It was published online May 8 in Arthritis & Rheumatology. “Persistent poverty and being poor in an area of concentrated poverty seem to worsen the amount of disease damage over time, while exiting poverty may alleviate it,” study author Edward Yelin, Ph.D., a retired adjunct professor at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, said in a journal news release.
A second study of 408 women with lupus found adverse pregnancy outcomes were about twice as common among black and Hispanic women than white women. Among black women, factors such as education and income were strongly tied to outcomes such as fetal death, preterm delivery, and fetal growth restriction. The study was published online May 8 in Arthritis Care & Research.
Study leader Jane Salmon, M.D., a research professor at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, said more research is needed to understand these differences, as well as how and when to take action to prevent them. “At present, we must be vigilant in educating and monitoring pregnant patients at increased risk of complications,” she said in a journal news release.
Abstract – Arthritis & Rheumatology
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Abstract – Arthritis Care & Research
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
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