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Virtual and in-person events for Lupus Awareness Month including alternative treatments, research updates, lab testing and more
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Lupus Awareness Month
This May, we have a number of in-person and livestream programs planned at HSS, in your community, and on the web in honor of Lupus Awareness Month. You are invited to join, connect with other people in our lupus network, and learn the latest in lupus care and research.
Lupus Awareness Month Events
Living Healthy with Lupus: Alternative Treatments & Lupus - In-person
Thurs, May 4, 12:30pm-1:30pm ET | HSS Rheumatologist Lisa Sammaritano, MD presents and answers questions. Lunch is provided. Register now
Understanding Laboratory Tests & Results for Lupus (SLE) - Virtual
Wed, May 10, 1:00pm-2:00pm ET | HSS Rheumatologist Sarah Lieber, MD, explains the “what, how and why” of lab tests and answers questions. Register now
What You Need to Know About Lupus & the Kidneys - In-person
Thurs, May 11, 1:00pm-2:00pm ET | Lupus Clinic Director at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Laura Geraldino-Pardilla, MD presents and answers questions. Lunch is provided. Register now
Sexual health, Pregnancy & Lupus - Virtual
Wed, May 17, 5:30pm-6:30pm ET | HSS Rheumatologist Dr. Caroline Siegel shares her expertise and answers your questions. Register now
Tai Chi Class -  In-person
Thurs, May 18, 10:30am-11:30am ET | Tai Chi/Meditation Instructor & Expressive Therapist Pin Pin Su provides a free lesson. Wear comfortable clothes. Register now
Tues, May 23, 1:00pm-2:00pm ET | Sophia Deng, RN at HSS discusses pain medications/safety and managing chronic pain issues. Register by email  lantern@hss.edu or call 646.797.8338
Managing Stress & Lupus - Virtual (in Spanish)
Mon, May 22, 5:30pm ET | HSS Rheumatologist Ruth Fernández Ruiz, MD & Juana Mata, Co-Founder of Looms for Lupus, lead an important discussion on lupus and stress management techniques. Register now
Community Events and Support

What is Lu
pus Live Broadcast (in Cantonese) | Weds, May 3, 4:00pm-4:30pm ET - Chinese Radio AM1480 interview with Eliza Ngan-Dittgen, Program Supervisor, LANtern® (Lupus Asian Network)
LANtern® Virtual Support Group | Sat, May 13, 11:00am-12:00pm ET - For meeting details & registration, please contact Eliza at lantern@hss.edu or 646.797.8338
Teen Young Adult and Parent Virtual Support Group | Thurs, May 18, 5:30pm-8:00pm ET - For meeting details, please contact Giselle Rodriguez, LCSW at charla@hss.edu.
Arthritis Foundation of New York Annual Virtual Walk to Cure Arthritis | Sat, May 20, 9:00am ET at Foley Square - To walk with the HSS Department of Social Work Programs, please contact Rosalia Duarte, LMSW, at 212.774.7605.

See our Lupus Awareness Month flyer for more details.
Research Highlights
Our patients have helped us understand lupus – so we can develop new approaches for treatment. We thank you for your participation. Here are some of the advancements you helped us make:

HSS Research Institute and The University of Utah Receive NIH Grant to Continue Groundbreaking Study on Pregnant Patients with APS (Antiphospholipid Syndrome Patients) with or without Lupus
HSS Lupus and APS Center Director, Jane Salmon, MD, is conducting an interventional trial funded by the NIH and Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) to help patients with lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) (often associated with lupus) have successful pregnancies. Women with lupus and APS are at increased risk for preeclampsia and other serious pregnancy complications. The IMPACT clinical trial is the first trial to use a biologic therapy to prevent serious adverse outcomes in high-risk pregnancies.

Dr. Salmon and her team completed an observational study of 775 pregnancies to determine the strongest predictors of pregnancy complications in patients with lupus and/or APS. The presence of certain autoantibodies in women with APS with or without lupus is associated with a nearly 50% risk for serious adverse pregnancy outcomes. The IMPACT trial will determine whether treatment with Certolizumab, a monoclonal anti-TNF antibody that blocks inflammation, will prevent serious pregnancy complications. Studies in experimental animal models show that blocking this inflammatory mediator prevents preeclampsia, fetal death and fetal growth restriction – all problems seen in patients with lupus and with APS. Read more

Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute was Awarded Two New Grants to Study Potential Causes of Lupus Flares
A research team led by Theresa Lu, MD, PhD of the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Research Institute, in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded two grants, one from the Department of Defense and one from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct groundbreaking research regarding lupus flares. Sun exposure can trigger skin lesions and worsening of kidneys or other internal organs affected by lupus, but how inflammation at the skin leads to internal organ effects is unknown. The hope is that this study will identify the molecular pathways that drive photosensitivity and lupus flares to determine better treatment options for this confounding and mysterious disease. Read more
To learn more about lupus and APS research, view our Clinical Trials. For lupus trials, please email Jeffrey Zhang-Sun, Clinical Research Coordinator or call 212.774.2967. For APS studies, please email JoAnn Vega, Research Coordinator or call 212.774.2795. For more info on our Pregnancy in APS study, please email Maggie Minett, Clinical Research Coordinator or call 212.774.2223.
March was National Kidney Month
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, meaning your immune system which usually protects the body from disease, turns against the body. This leads to damage of organs, like the kidneys. When systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects the kidneys, it is called lupus nephritis. Lupus nephritis can result in kidney failure due to injury from inflammation and scarring of small blood vessels in your kidneys that filter wastes. To learn more about Lupus Nephritis, please see these videos below:
Lupus Nephritis Presentation (30 mins) featuring Kyriakos A. Kirou, MD
Lupus Nephritis Quick Facts (3 mins) featuring Ashira D. Blazer, MD
The Lupus and APS Center of Excellence at HSS is a multidisciplinary and innovative program, established by expert faculty with the goal of improving the lives of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). For more information please visit us online.
  • Fast Track Appointment Referral Service - If you are a lupus patient new to HSS in need of a fast appointment with one of our center’s physicians, please call us at 877.SLE.CURE (877.753.2873). For non-urgent requests or questions please email us.
  • View our HSS Lupus Patient Support Programs
 
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