Ronald Reagan

“ The Federal government and private voluntary organizations have developed a strong and enduring partnership committed to research on lupus. Working together, our objective must be to eradicate lupus and its tragic consequences. ”

“ By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Systemic lupus erythematosus (also known as lupus or SLE) is a potentially serious, complicated, inflammatory connective tissue disease that can produce changes in the structure and function of the skin, joints, and internal organs. More than 500,000 Americans are estimated to have lupus; approximately 90 percent of these are women. One of the most frequent serious disorders of young women, lupus is characterized by periods when the disease is active alternating with periods of remission. ”

“ In recent years, the outlook for lupus patients has become progressively brighter as a result of advances from biomedical research. Positive findings have emerged from such diverse projects as studies of the immune system ”