WEDNESDAY, 10 SEPT – Probability for women to suffer from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or SLE is eight time higher than men within the range of 15 until 45 years old.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 people in Malaysia have been diagnosed with SLE over the past thirty years; 90 percent of them are women while 10% are men and children.
According to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Faculty of Medicine and Health Science Senior Lecturer, Dr. Malehah Mohd Noor, SLE or Lupus is an immune system disruption where the body immune system to attack certain parts of the body when the system supposed to protect it.
“There are two types of lupus, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) which can affect any parts of the internal organs and Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) which only affects to the skin,” she said.
“At the moment there is no specific test to diagnose Lupus. It is not impossible to have the symptoms for years before diagnosed to suffer from Lupus,” she added.
The most common SLE symptoms are arthritis, often accompanied by fatigue and fever.
Realising the danger of SLE diseases, UMS and together with Persatuan SLE Malaysia (PSLEM) and Kota Kinabalu Queen Elizabeth Hospital collaborate to make an awareness campaign walkathon ‘Walk-a-Payung’.
The campaign will be on the 20th September 2014 where the participants will walk for 1.5 kilometres starting from UMS Chancellor Hall.
For more information and further inquiries about SLE or PSLEM, please browse http://www.lupusmalaysia.org/.-HH (JA)
Media and Citra Division
Chancellery Department