Jimmy Carter

“ In the last few years, progress has been made toward better understanding of lupus. Public and privately-supported medical research and education mean that each year thousands of patients can look forward to improved treatment, and the opportunity to live happier and more productive lives. However, new research findings and new approaches for improved treatment and diagnosis are needed if we are ever to eliminate lupus as a cause of human suffering and to improve the quality of life in our society for its victims. ”

“ I urge the people of the United States and educational, philanthropic, scientific, medical, and health care organizations and professions to provide the necessary assistance and resources to discover the cause and cure of systemic lupus erythematosus and the other rheumatic diseases and to alleviate the suffering of all persons struck by these disorders. ”

“ Almost 90 percent of its victims are young women.
In the systemic form, lupus can affect almost any part of the body, often producing abnormalities in the kidney, heart, skin, joints, and other internal organs.
The outlook for victims of lupus has vastly improved in recent years. In 1955, the survival rate for lupus victims was only 50 percent four years after diagnosis. Now, more than 80 percent of lupus patients are alive 10 years after their disease has been identified. ”