Lupus can affect any part of the body, including the bones and bone tissue. New research reviewed bone fracture rates within Medicaid 2007-2010 in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus nephritis (LN) and non-SLE. The study found elevated fracture risks in people with SLE, particularly those with LN, compared to matched Medicaid persons with non-SLE.

Lead researcher Sara K. Tedeschi, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and recipient of the Lupus Foundation of America’s 2016 Career Development Award and Foundation research grantee, shared with us, “While some of this risk was due to corticosteroid use among SLE patients, much of the risk seemed due to the disease itself. Fracture prevention is an important part of routine care for SLE patients, and we encourage patients to speak with their physicians about their personal risk.”

Learn about how lupus affects the bones.

Read the research