Arthritis At Home 271 – Lupus and pregnancy in women in Alberta

Saturday, May 10 is World Lupus Day – an annual day dedicated to people living with lupus.

Lupus is an unpredictable disease in which a person’s immune system produces an excess of proteins called antibodies that attach themselves to various structures in the body. The accumulation of these antibodies in the tissues can cause inflammation, damage and pain. The most common form of lupus is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Approximately 15,000 Canadians are affected by SLE. Lupus symptoms and severity vary from patient to patient, for some, lupus is life-threatening and for others, it’s entirely manageable.

In honour of #WorldLupusDay, this episode of #ArthritisAtHome will highlight the #CRArthritis interview with Dr. Stephanie Keeling, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta and a member of the lupus working group – consisting of lupus specialists from across Canada along with two national patient organizations, Arthritis Consumer Experts and Lupus Canada.

Dr. Keeling discusses about lupus and pregnancy in women in Alberta. In her study, they looked at what happens to women in pregnancy and what health care providers are doing with medications.

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