Lupus Foundation of America to Ring Closing Bell at Nasdaq to Raise Awareness of Lupus and the Importance of Early and Accurate Diagnosis

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) along with lupus warriors and supporters will ring the closing bell at the Nasdaq Stock Exchange today to raise awareness for lupus. Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with, a challenge to treat and can be fatal. 

Lupus is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are different from person to person, mimic the symptoms of many other diseases, and can come and go. A core strategic outcome of the Lupus Foundation of America is to reduce the time to receiving an accurate lupus diagnosis.  Last month during Lupus Awareness Month, the LFA worked with partners to highlight tools, resources and campaigns to educate the public and those people at risk for lupus about the diagnosis process. While these efforts may have been spotlighted during May, these are important year-round efforts.

"The Lupus Foundation of America is excited to participate in the bell ringing ceremony at the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, and to connect with those who share our vision of improving the lives of people affected by lupus," says Stevan W. Gibson, president and CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America. "This opportunity underscores our ongoing commitment to increase people's understanding of lupus and stressing the importance of early diagnosis of the disease."

A Lupus Foundation of America survey found that on average, it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to be diagnosed, from the time they first notice their lupus symptoms. The timely diagnosis of lupus depends on several factors including current symptoms, medical history, findings from medical exams and results from key laboratory blood tests.

The need for improved lab tests to diagnose lupus prompted the Lupus Foundation of America to support early research on the development of Cell-Bound Complement Activation Products or CB-CAPs. CB-CAPs are now the cornerstone of our collaboration partner, Exagen, and their AVISE CTD test for diagnosis and the AVISE SLE Monitor test which is used to uncover disease activity in people who have lupus. The Lupus Foundation of America will be recognizing Exagen's ongoing commitment to reducing the time to diagnose lupus and will be honoring Exagen's President and CEO later this year with the National Research Innovation Award at the Foundation's Evening of Hope Gala in New York City.

To learn more about lupus, visit lupus.org.

About the Lupus Foundation of America
The Lupus Foundation of America is the national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, one of the world's cruelest, most unpredictable, and devastating diseases, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Through a comprehensive program of research, education, and advocacy, we lead the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. Learn more about the Lupus Foundation of America at lupus.org.

Lupus Foundation of America media contact:
Mike Donnelly
Vice President of Communications
Lupus Foundation of America
[email protected]
202.349.1162

SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America

Related Links

http://www.lupus.org