Lupus in Older Adults: What You Should Know

Lupus and aging affect your body in similar ways. As you get older, your immune system gets weaker, you’re more prone to inflammation, and your risk for infection and disease goes up. All of these are true for people who have lupus, too. That’s why it’s important that older people with lupus take good care of themselves and follow their treatment plan.

Lupus that doesn’t develop until you are over 50 is called late-onset lupus. It has some differences from lupus that develops earlier in life. Also, lupus in an aging adult who has had the condition for many years comes with some special concerns, too.

Lupus that develops after age 50 doesn’t always start with the obvious signs of lupus that younger people may get. In older adults, the symptoms tend to be more generic, such as weight loss, weakness, fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes. Many conditions have these same symptoms, which can make lupus harder to diagnose in older people.

In late-onset lupus, the more “lupus-like” symptoms usually aren’t the first ones to appear. They also may not be the same as the lupus-specific symptoms that younger people get. Folks who develop the condition after 50 are less likely to have skin and kidney problems. But they are more likely to get dry eyes and mouth, arthritis, and inflammation of tissues that line organs.

Though lupus symptoms can be milder for lupus that starts later, the disease can still do as much damage as it does in people who have it for many years. This is probably because other health conditions and the aging process itself are having an effect on the body, too.

If you’ve had lupus for many years, the symptoms of the disease itself may get milder over time. But compared to other people your age without lupus, you’re at a higher risk for certain other diseases. You might be more likely to have heart problems, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, certain cancers, infections, and Raynaud’s phenomenon – bouts of cold, numb, discolored fingers or toes.

When you were younger, you might have gone off your medications sometimes between flares. Now that you’re older, it’s more likely that you need to stay on them without stopping to keep your lupus under control.

Your doctor might need to tweak your medicines as you get older, and getting it just right can get trickier. That’s because the way you absorb and tolerate medicines changes as you age. You also may be on other meds for other conditions that don’t mix well with lupus drugs.

As you age with lupus, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of your health care. Keep all your medical appointments and don’t miss routine screenings for osteoporosis, cancers, and other conditions for which lupus puts you at greater risk.

There’s no cure for lupus (or for aging), but you can keep your body in the best possible health as you get older. You know the drill: Stick to a healthy diet, exercise every day, get plenty of sleep, quit smoking, and limit your drinking.