Ronald Reagan

“ In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth. ”

“ Thanks to recent research progress, lupus has become more a chronic disease than the acute and often fatal disorder it was decades ago. Nevertheless, deaths do occur, and new research findings and new approaches to diagnosis and treatment are needed to eliminate lupus. A concerted Federal-private research effort is working to ultimately uncover the cause and cure for this distressing disease. ”

“ Systemic lupus erythematosus or lupus is often called "the great impersonator" because it can mimic so many other diseases. A disorder of the body's immune system, lupus may affect the joints, the skin, and one or more internal organs (such as the kidneys, heart, and brain) in varying combinations. As many as 500,000 Americans-mostly women in their childbearing years-may suffer from this autoimmune disorder. ”