March is Kidney Month! Join us for a conversation with Dr. Brad Rovin, an expert in autoimmune kidney disease, where we talk about lupus nephritis and kidney health for people with lupus.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Sasha Bernatsky, about lupus and cancer, if there’s a link between lupus and cancer, and a new abstract about cancer incidence and risk factors in a large SLE cohort.  Dr. Bernatsky is a rheumatologist, a James McGill professor and a senior scientist in the Centre for Health Outcomes Research and Division of Clinical Epidemiology at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Her expertise lies in using ‘big data’ from health services,...

In this episode of the Expert Series, we speak with Dr. Christie Bartels about stress and stress management for people with lupus. Dr. Bartels covers how to manage stress, resources to manage stress and the difference between stress symptoms and lupus symptoms.  Dr. Bartels is Division Chief of Rheumatology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and Chair of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) RISE Registry Health IT Committee. As a rheumatologist health...

In this episode of The Expert Series, Dr. Tamar Rubinstein, a pediatric rheumatologist at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York, talks with us about how lupus affects teenagers, how they can cope with lupus, and how to communicate with health care providers as teens get older.  Her research focuses on improving mental health and disease outcomes in youth with lupus and has been funded by the Lupus Foundation of America, the Rheumatology Research Foundation, the Childhood...

In this episode of The Expert Series, Dr. Anca Askanase, professor of medicine, the founder and director of Lupus Center and director of Rheumatology Clinical Trials at the Division of Rheumatology of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, will be sharing about her role in the successful treatment of a catatonic woman who awakened after 20 years. Read the article on April’s case and others on the Washington Post, How autoimmune disease can attack the brain, cause...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jillian Rose-Smith, vice president and chief equity officer at the Hospital for the Special Surgery, about lupus in the LGBTQ+ communities. We discuss what it means to have gender affirming care, how to protect yourself from implicit bias in the healthcare space and  how to get the support you need. Review these resources to learn more: What role do sex and gender play in lupus? Lupus facts and statistics What is self-advocacy Speak with a health...

In this month’s episode, we learn more about visible symptoms of lupus with Dr. May Choi. Dr. Choi will discuss the difference between visible and invisible symptoms, treatment options, and ways to cope with visible manifestations of lupus. Dr. Choi is a rheumatologist, clinician scientist, and Assistant Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Resources Check out our previous episode about invisible symptoms with Dr. Cynthia Aranow Use this sheet to keep...

Dr. Cynthia Aranow explains the impact of invisible symptoms in this episode of The Expert Series. Learn the difference between a sign and symptom and how to discuss this topic with your health care team and loved ones. Review these resources to learn more about this topic: https://www.lupus.org/resources/understanding-the-invisible-impact-of-lupus https://www.lupus.org/resources/ten-things-to-tell-your-friends-about-lupus ...

There is no set definition or timeframe for what counts as lupus remission. It’s no wonder lupus remission is a confusing topic! This month, Dr. Ronald van Vollenhoven, director of Amsterdam Rheumatology Center in the Netherlands, shares his expertise about lupus remission and inactive lupus and what it means for lupus warriors. Learn more about lupus remission on our National Resource Center on Lupus https://www.lupus.org/resources/lupus-remission ...

In this episode of The Expert Series, we explore the topic of Step Therapy and access to medications. LFA’s Health Education Specialist and Manager Ashley Holden will explain what Step Therapy is and how it can affect people with lupus. Related resources Check out LFA’s Policy Spotlight on Step Therapy Medications that treat lupus Learn how to self-advocate for yourself or a loved one here

Inflammation from lupus and treatments can affect a person’s bone density, which makes it easier for someone with lupus to break a bone. Dr. Ummara Shah, associate professor in the department of medicine at University of Rochester, discusses why it’s important for people with lupus to care about their bone health. Dr. Shah also leads clinical trials in lupus and is involved in education of lupus patients at the University of Rochester. More resources on how to manage bone health: ...

You may have heard the terms health disparities or social determinants of health being used in conversation, but weren’t quite sure how they apply to people with lupus. If so, this is your time to listen. We’re talking with LFA’s Research Director Dr. Joy Buie about health disparities and social determinants of health and how it can affect people with lupus. Here is some important information Keep track your health information with Your lupus care file Financial assistance resource...

La discusión de este episodio se impartió en español Lupe y Lety, especialistas en educación para la salud de la Fundación de Lupus de América (LFA, por sus siglas en inglés), están de vuelta en un nuevo episodio respondiendo preguntas frecuentes sobre el lupus sometidas al equipo de educación para la salud. Para enviar su propia pregunta a los especialistas en educación de la salud, llena este formulario aquí Para leer más de las respuestas del blog de las especialistas en educación de la...

In this episode, we focus on eyes and how lupus can affect vision. Dr. Michelle Petri, founder and director of Johns Hopkins Lupus Center, discusses the importance of maintaining eye health when you have lupus, and what to take notice of depending on prescribed medications. To learn more about lupus and the eyes, review a slideshow here Related: To see how lupus affects other parts of the body, check out our resources here Here’s how medications used to treat lupus can affect you, read...

Clinical trials make new and better treatments for lupus possible. In this episode of The Expert Series, we sit down and talk with Stephanie Slan, director of IMPACT+ (Improving Minority Participation and Awareness in Clinical Trials) at the Lupus Foundation of America about clinical trial participation. Stephanie also debunks some myths about clinical trials might keep people from wanting to participate. It’s important for people with lupus to consider participating in these trials to...

The Expert Series is happy to have Dr. Bonnie Bermas on our episode about fertility and reproductive health. Dr. Bermas is an internal medicine professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center focusing on rheumatology disorders. She was the Clinical Director of the Lupus Center and co-director of the Program in pregnancy and rheumatic diseases at Brigham and Women’s  and Harvard Medical School. Her research interests include pregnancy and rheumatic diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...

In this month’s episode, we talk about self-care/self-management with Dr. May Choi. Dr. Choi is a rheumatologist, clinician scientist, and Assistant Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She has a background and training that include Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at Harvard University and a lupus fellowship. Dr. Choi is also the Associate Director of MitogenDx Laboratory for novel autoantibody and biomarker testing for autoimmune diseases and the...

In this month’s episode, we speak with Dr. Jane Salmon about Antiphospholipid Syndrome, or APS. Dr. Salmon is a Collette Kean Research Professor and the director of the Lupus and APS Center of Excellence at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Dr. Salmon shares her insight on APS how it can affect people with lupus, treatments, and more. Tune in to learn more. For more information on APS, read here Learn more about lupus and pregnancy Learn more on how smoking can affect people with lupus

This episode was recorded in Spanish. Este podcast fue grabado en español. En este episodio, nuestras especialistas en educación para la salud, Leticia Ocaña, MPH, CHES® y Guadalupe Patiño, MPH, hablan sobre los recursos financieros que pueden estar disponibles para las personas con lupus de la comunidad hispana/latina. Los recursos que comparten incluye información que se encuentra en nuestro nuevo artículo que se enfoca en brindar ayuda a la comunidad de lupus y dónde buscarla. Para...

In this episode of The Expert Series, we welcome Dr. Murray Urowitz, a senior staff rheumatologist at the Toronto Western Hospital and Senior Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute and Schroeder Arthritis Institute. Dr. Urowitz helps us continue the conversation on lupus and heart health. We discuss the difference between coronary artery disease and cardiovascular disease for lupus patients, how these diseases present in both men and women, and more. Find out more information on heart...

In this episode of The Expert Series, we are focusing on medication management. LFA talks with Dr. Marcia Mueting, CEO of Nebraska Pharmacists Association, about the importance of connecting with your local pharmacists, what questions to ask, and what to do if you experience side effects from your lupus medications. Dr. Mueting also worked as staff pharmacist, pharmacy manager in a community practice, and helps support her husband, who is a lupus warrior. For information on lupus...

In this episode of The Expert Series, we talk with Dr. Anca Askanase, founder and clinical director of Columbia University’s Lupus Center, about winter wellness. We discuss how to stay healthy during cold and flu season, the importance of getting a flu shot every year, and more. To learn more about flu and vaccines for people with lupus, check out our resources on our Resource Center: Get your annual flu shot Lupus and Vaccines Be sure to also check out our blog discussing how to stay...

In honor of National Caregivers Month, we speak with Grace Whiting, president and CEO of The National Alliance for Caregiving, on why we should give back to those who take care of us. In this episode we discuss the caregiver role, tips to stay healthy, resources, and more. For more information on caregiving, check out our dedicated page for caregivers.

In this episode of The Expert Series, LFA’s Senior Communication Strategist Duane Peters talks with Melanie Betz of University of Chicago. Betz, a member of the American Kidney Fund dietician advisory group, addresses the role of diet for people with Lupus Nephritis and kidney-friendly recipes. For information on Lupus Nephritis, check out our dedicated resource page. You may learn more about how kidney disease involvement may affect someone with lupus. For recipes, you can check out...