Is lupus inherited?

I read the newspaper first thing in the morning while savoring my first cup of coffee. I usually skim over some of the articles/columns, but this morning, one caught my attention as it contained the word "lupus."

A woman had written to the doctor's advice column that her son was about to marry a woman who has lupus. She was afraid her future grandchildren might inherit the disease, and she closed her remarks with "she has very pale, white skin."

Of course, the doctor addressed her concerns about whether or not her disease could be passed on to her children. Maybe, maybe not. But that should not prevent her from bearing children, as the survival rate for lupus presently is very high.

Then he addressed her concern about the girl's pale white skin. "Her skin color is not an indication of lupus."

Well, he was correct, but he needed to add something to the effect that "her pale white skin coloring is a reflection of her avoiding the sunlight, which can trigger a lupus flare. "

This is why we must be careful in reading material such as this and taking it as "gospel." While the article may be accurate and informative, newspaper space constraints probably prevented the doctor from providing a more complete answer to the woman's question. We forget that sometimes we get just enough information to scare us, or the answers cause us to ask even more questions.

For more complete and up to date information, nothing beats the official website, www.lupus.org. Rely on it, and if you have questions, be sure to ask.