Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon has recently introduced a specialty clinic for Lupus - an auto immune disease in which the body’s immune system starts attacking its own healthy cells leading to a number of complications.

Lupus can be defined as a complex auto immune disease in which the body’s carefully structured immune system suffers a program malfunction and turns against its own cells. Lupus leads to a series of complications including arthritis, photo sensitive skin rashes, prolonged fever, kidney disease and even heart conditions.

Taking the rising incidences of the above mentioned symptoms, high number of undiagnosed patients and the mismanagement of the same, the hospital took the initiative. Says Dr Indrajit Agrawal, head, rheumatology, “In India the same disease manifest in 24.5 years and is usually misdiagnosed as TB, heart disease, thyroid and anything else. Lupus can affect any organ of the body and can make your body react to your good healthy cells. The results of misdiagnosis are devastating.”

Dr Agrawal also states that this is usually detected in women and the same is found in a 11:1 sex ratio (female: male). Hence the same is found in women predominantly, in their reproductive ages.  He further states that in India the symptoms are usually just taken as arthritis and dermititis. The issues start when Lupus manifests into unexplained organ damage. Majority of the patients develop Lupus Nephritris (kidney damage) or Lupus carditis (heart condition). However there are different kinds of Lupus that have been identified – some whose impact is limited to the skin, others whose impact spreads to different organs of the body.

It is hence important to focus on preventive screenings against this disorder as it often goes unnoticed. For the same initially an Anti Nucleus Antibody (ANA) Test is required that highlights that whether a rheumatoid/autoimmune condition exists or not. Post the same additional required tests can be prescribed to ensure and check the effects of the disease. Lupus is such a disease that can be diagnosed through clinical judgment only. Hence self medication and self testing is not recommended.

Pop legend Michael Jackson had Lupus. Closer home, Sunanda Pushkar, who died a sudden and tragic death earlier this year, also suffered from this disease. In India not many people are aware of this disease.

In western countries- USA, UK, etc, the incidence and the prevalence of Lupus is exceptionally high around 150 per 1,00,000. However the prevalence and the medical management of the same in India is poor. This is because the same is undocumented, the treatment is delayed, suboptimal healthcare conditions are present, physicians are unaware of the incidences and most importantly there is low awareness in the public at large also.