Can You Die From Lupus? 10 Things You Should Know

Learn About Your Prognosis If You’ve Been Diagnosed With Lupus

By Jeri Jewett

For many people who have been diagnosed with lupus, the first question that comes to mind may be: Can you die from lupus?

The short answer is, unfortunately, yes. However, most people living with lupus today can expect to live a normal lifespan.

There is no cure for lupus, so this is a question many newly diagnosed patients ask – or want to ask.

Fortunately, thanks to advances over the past two decades, today more than 95 percent of people with lupus survive at least 10 years.

Even better: Most people who have lupus live a normal lifespan.

Lupus was once much more deadly. Only 50 percent of people diagnosed with lupus in 1955 were expected to live for more than four years.

Researchers say the survival rate for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has improved for many reasons. These include: