October is Lupus Awareness Month… yet lupus remains under-recognized and under-funded

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Oct 04, 2011, 11:15 ET

To view the Social Media Release, click here: http://smr.newswire.ca/en/lupus-canada/october-is-lupus-awareness-month

MARKHAM, ON, Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - The first new treatment in 50 years has brought increased awareness across Canada of lupus and its impact on patients and their families. This is great news for Lupus Canada and its provincial partners as we work towards a vision of life without lupus. Known as 'The Disease with 1000 Faces", lupus affects tens of thousands of Canadian men, women and children. In October, lupus patients and supporters across Canada will recognize Lupus Awareness Month as a time to reflect on what all Canadians can do to increase awareness of this under-recognized and under-funded disease.

Lupus affects over 1:1000 Canadian men, women and children, yet many people are still unaware of the disease. Between the ages of 15 and 45 though, 9 times more women than men will be diagnosed with lupus. Its symptoms often mimic other illnesses, and it can attack any tissue or organ in the body. Common symptoms of lupus include joint pain, skin rashes, sun sensitivity, extreme fatigue, fever, chest pain and hair loss. It is a chronic autoimmune disease that is life threatening and life altering and for which there is no cure. For this reason, Lupus Awareness Month is a critical way to help people.

Lupus Canada, working together with its provincial partners, is a national voluntary organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with lupus through advocacy, education, public awareness, support and research. We provide educational and support resources for people whose lives are touched by lupus, raise awareness of lupus and provide funding for research. Through the support of events such as Walk for Lupus and generous, engaged individual and corporate donors, we are able to continue our work on behalf of people living with lupus.

To learn more about lupus, Lupus Canada, our member organizations and divisions, please visit www.lupuscanada.org or call 1(800) 661-1468.

Additonal Links:

SOURCE Lupus Canada

Image with caption: "Lupus Canada Ambassadors Patrick McKenna, Debra McGrath and Colin Mochrie. (CNW Group/Lupus Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111004_C8867_PHOTO_EN_4105.jpg

Image with caption: "October is Lupus Awareness Month- yet lupus remains under-recognized and under-funded. (CNW Group/Lupus Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111004_C8867_PHOTO_EN_4104.jpg

Video with caption: "Video: October is Lupus Awareness Month". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111004_C8867_VIDEO_EN_4108.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111004_C8867_PHOTO_EN_4108.jpg&clientName=Lupus%20Canada&caption=Video%3A%20October%20is%20Lupus%20Awareness%20Month&title=October%20is%20Lupus%20Awareness%20Month

Image with caption: " (CNW Group/Lupus Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111004_C8867_PHOTO_EN_4125.jpg