What Is Lupus and 10 things you should know about it.

Diagnosed at any age

Women of childbearing age (between 15 and 44) are at the highest risk of lupus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the disease isn’t limited to younger adults. Between 10 and 20 per cent of people with systemic lupus are diagnosed before age 18, according to a study in Nature Reviews Rheumatology, and adults can also have “late-onset” lupus that is diagnosed after age 50.

Race is a risk factor

People of colour — particularly people of African descent — are at a higher risk of lupus than white people are, and the disease tends to affect populations differently. These patients tend to have higher mortality rates than white patients, while Hispanic and Asian patients have a lower risk of lupus, according to a study of 42,000 lupus cases.