Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy organs and tissues in the body. This can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain, fatigue, inflammation, rashes, hair loss, and nail changes. A distinctive sign of lupus is a rash across the cheeks and nose that resembles the wings of a butterfly.

The most common form of lupus, called systemic lupus erythematosus, is three to four times more likely to affect African Americans than White Americans. Between these groups, racial disparities have been found in the progression of the disease and its outcomes, with African Americans facing significantly higher rates of disease activity and mortality.