Do lupus symptoms get better with age?

There may be brighter days ahead for those struggling with lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation throughout your body that damages organs and tissues. 

A new Science Translational Medicine study found that certain antiviral genes associated with lupus become less active over time, suggesting lupus symptoms, such as fatigue and joint pain, can improve as people age.  

The researchers studied blood samples from 287 lupus patients across the age spectrum against 928 people who didn’t have the disease and found that certain immune genes associated with lupus were less active as patients aged. 

In people without lupus, it’s normal for inflammation-related genes and proteins to increase with age. This process is called inflammaging. While the study suggests some reversal for lupus patients, it wasn’t fully reversed. Lupus patients still had a greater level of inflammatory signaling compared to healthier people of similar age. 

“These results are incredibly promising for people diagnosed with lupus,” says Dr. Sana Jaffery, a rheumatologist at Advocate Health Care. “To see inflammaging slightly reversed for lupus patients means that patients have hope for a normal, healthy aging process.” 

Are you experiencing lupus or aging-related symptoms?

Even with the decrease in lupus symptoms over time, aging itself comes with its own issues. For example, there are lupus-like symptoms that can increase in severity as you age and may not necessarily be related to your lupus diagnosis: 

• Joint pain 
• Increased fatigue 
• Cognitive decline 
• Chest pain 
• Bone fractures 
• Osteoporosis 

“Another issue people with lupus run into is a less active immune system,” says Dr. Jaffery. “Our immune systems get less active as we age. While that means less inflammation for those with lupus, it also means they might have a harder time fighting infections and may not fully respond to vaccines.” 

People with lupus are more likely to develop additional co-morbidities as they age, like heart disease, cancer, lung disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and kidney disease. They are also at a higher risk for strokes and dementia.  

How to manage lupus as you age

Dr. Jaffery recommends the following tips for managing lupus as you age so you can live the best quality of life possible:

• Work with a health care provider to manage your symptoms and evolving health needs 
• Prioritize staying physically active and eating healthy 
• Create a support system to fight social isolation 

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