What can be done to prevent the disease?

Most cases of systemic lupus erythematosus cannot be prevented. It may be helpful to avoid medications that cause SLE, but not everyone who takes these medications will develop the disease.

What are the long-term effects of the disease?

SLE is a long-term disease that flares up, then quiets down, then flares up again. Persons with SLE often have a significant decrease in the quality of daily life. Many complications of SLE put the person at risk. Many of the medications used to treat the disease also have significant side effects. SLE can be fatal, often as a result of kidney failure, infections, or heart attack.

What are the risks to others?

There is no evidence that SLE is a contagious disease that can be passed from one person to another. However, it does tend to run in families. Pregnant women with SLE have an increased risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and premature infants.