ParfumGigi@aol.com
24 avril, 2008 10:40
Read the Latest Lupus Research on Hormone Replacement Therapy, Lupus Nephritis and Tacrolimus
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Is Hormone Replacement Therapy During Menopause Safe for Women with Lupus? Data from two very large studies -- the HERS trial (for Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study) and the Women’s Health Initiative -- have raised questions about the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women during menopause; those studies seemed to show that HRT increases a woman’s risk for heart disease. This is of even greater concern for women with lupus, because lupus puts women at higher risk for heart disease.
New Ways to Detect Lupus Nephritis? Kidney disease is diagnosed through a series of laboratory tests, and usually confirmed through biopsy. Biopsy -- in which kidney tissue is removed via insertion of a needle through the person’s back and then examined under a microscope -- is the most accurate way to discover the amount of damage that has occurred from lupus disease activity. However this procedure, which typically takes place in a hospital, can be expensive, can have side effects, and would only be done after kidney disease is suspected. For these reasons, less invasive and less expensive ways to routinely measure inflammation in the kidneys and disease progression would be of great benefit. More Promising News About Tacrolimus Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant drug that helps control inflammation. It was originally developed and approved to help prevent rejection of the new organ in transplant patients, but in recent years tacrolimus has been used to treat adults with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers wanted to know if tacrolimus could be used safely to control lupus nephritis in pediatric-onset lupus patients with long-standing disease. |
