Where a Person Lives May Impact Lupus Disease Activity

Updated research by Lupus Foundation of America Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Awardee Emily Smitherman, MD, finds a connection between disease activity and where a person with childhood-onset lupus (cSLE) lives. Race and socioeconomic status are known to be associated with disparities in long-term cSLE outcomes, and recent research has even shown air pollution may play a role in childhood-onset lupus activity.

Data from 204 children with cSLE in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry were analyzed. Moderate to high disease activity was found in 60% of individuals. The analysis also found that individual variables like parental education, residence in an urban area, and neighborhood deprivation may also influence disease activity.

“This research is another step in understanding the risk factors for higher disease activity in children with lupus,” says Dr. Emily Smitherman lead study author and Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Awardee with the Lupus Foundation of America.

The findings suggest that looking closely at neighborhood-level variables may help to better assess risk and adjust how care is delivered for people with lupus. Learn more about Smitherman and her research efforts.