Working Out Could Help Lupus Sufferers

Recently, Selena Gomez announced to the world that she underwent a kidney transplant over the summer due to her ongoing battle with Lupus, a condition that affects five million people worldwide.

In the touching Instagram post, the singer spoke about how her friend Francia Raisa donated a kidney and went on to say: “Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made.”

Not only did the post attract over nine million likes, it also inspired over $500,000 in donations from the public to the Lupus Research Alliance.

The good news doesn’t stop there though as, recent research has shown that regular, exercise and stress reduction may help sufferers control and even reduce the pain that accompanies Lupus.

Researchers at The Ohio State University carried out a pilot study on lupus mice and found that 45 minutes on the treadmill a day significantly decreased inflammatory damage to the kidneys. Several biomarkers known to drive inflammation severely decreased in the group of mice that exercised.

– READ MORE: 7 Benefits Of Exercising Outdoors –

The same team conducted a test on humans which saw the lupus patients take part in a daily tai chi program. The initial results were positive and saw substantial decreases in some of the same inflammatory biomarkers previously identified.

This is great news as the experiment has provided enough evidence to seek funding for a larger human trial.

“We’ve shown on a molecular level that both exercise and stress can impact inflammation by regulation of the immune system, which may provide a unique opportunity to help people suffering from the chronic inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases like lupus,” said the study’s senior author Nicholas Young.

If you’re not one of the millions of people who Googled lupus in the past week, let us fill you in on what this chronic autoimmune condition does, how it’s diagnosed and what the symptoms are.

What is lupus?

Lupus – officially termed Systemic Lupus Erythematotsus ­­­– is an autoimmune condition when the body makes antibodies that attack itself. It typically develops when you’re between 12 and 25 and is 10 times more common in women than in men.

What are the symptoms?

There are a variety of symptoms and they differ from one person to another. Mild problems include aches and tiredness, whereas life-threatening symptoms can consist of organ damage to the heart and kidneys.

How is it diagnosed?

A doctor must carry out a blood test to identify the self-attacking antibodies.

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