Lupus and Overlap Diseases

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LUPUS and OVERLAP

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Frequency Of Overlap Syndromes In People With Lupus

The majority of people with lupus have lupus alone. Between 5 and 30 percent of people with lupus report having overlap symptoms. The likelihood of a
person with lupus also having an overlap disease is 15 percent, distributed as follows:

Overlap Disease Approximate Rate of Occurrence
Rheumatoid Arthritis 1%
Polymyositis-Dermatomyositis 2%
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease 3%
Scleroderma 4%
Sjogren's syndrome 5%

Prognosis For People With Lupus And Overlap Syndromes

It is important for those with lupus to be aware of the symptoms that might indicate the development of "overlap" features, since these symptoms and
abnormalities may be best managed with treatments not typically used for lupus. Fortunately, when an overlap syndrome is present, the symptoms characteristic of the other connective tissue diseases involved are usually mild and not life-threatening.

Someone You Know Has Lupus