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Understanding the Health Insurance Needs of Lupus-affected Californians
Under the Affordable Care Act, California's state health insurance marketplace, Covered California, is now in its third year. In order to assist in our advocacy goals, we are looking to better understand how our patients gain coverage. Please help us by completing the following anonymous survey.
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Coming Up at LFNC
LUPUS CONFERENCE WITH CEU CREDIT FOR RNs: Our Fall Lupus Mini-Conference will be held on Saturday, Dec. 5 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Stockton. Fees: Credit attendees $50, all others $30; $10 discount for LFNC members. No one turned away for lack of funds, but registration is required. See details and register here.
Bakesfield Support Group Meeting: New Support Group has formed in Bakesfield and first meeting is on Thursday, Oct 6, at 6:30 pm. Location: Valley Baptist Church at 4800 Fruitvale Ave, Bakersfield, Calif. Contact: Linda Kreick, (661) 331-6379.
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Tick, Tock - Get Your Mercedes Drawing Ticket Before Time Runs Out!
One great cause. One beauty of a sedan.
600 tickets total will be sold, and we're a bit more than half way through!
Win a Mercedes CLA-250, or $25,000 in cash.
Want it? Get in fast before all 600 tickets sell out!
Tickets: $75 per entry. $200 for three (3) or $300 for five (5)
Call us at (408) 954-8600 for the fastest way to buy your tickets or complete this form and mail or fax it to us. Remember, the more tickets you buy, the better your chances!
When is the giveaway?
As soon as the 600th ticket is sold!
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Ever Wonder Why So Many More Women Get Lupus than Men? Finally, a Possible Answer
It's a well known fact among the lupus community that 9 out of 10 (and some research indicating perhaps even more) lupus patients are women. That's a very lopsided ratio. To this point though, the only answer as to why has been scratching of the head.
But it looks like there may finally be some answers to that question. A new discovery by researchers at the University of Texas in San Antonio has found the following:
It's the discovery of how an immune cell called a T-Reg works. Researchers have found that it's controlled by one specific molecule known as B7H1.
Tyler Curiel, M.D., M.P.H., Oncologist and Immunologist at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio said, "I noticed that that molecule had been detected in women with lupus flares."
T- Regs should keep the immune system from going into overdrive, which is what happens with autoimmune disorders like lupus. But if the B7H1 molecule isn't working right, a woman's estrogen will "turn off" the T-Reg.
The much lower predominance of estrogen in men (contrary to popular belief, men do have the estrogen hormone) may help explain why the number of men affected by lupus are so small compared to the number of women affected by it.
But that is not all the study does. By pinpointing lupus flares to the B7H1 molecule, the study may be a precursor to further research that will be able to develop treatment targeted to reduce the effect of flares without immunosuppressive drugs that leave the patient susceptible to other illnesses that the immune system could otherwise fight off.
Read more about the study here.
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Make the Lupus Buddy Program Catch Fire
The Lupus Buddy Program - the first of its kind in lupus - is not even a month old (we launched it on July 15), and we already have almost 50 people signed up! Now that's something.
The interest in the program launched by the LFNC working with a volunteer coordinator tells us how valuable patients are finding it - not just in northern California but across the country. And although we couldn't be happier to see it take off among patients, one thing is holding us back from much broader outreach, recruitment and expansion: Funding.
You can solve that problem. Give just $25 (more if you can), then share our funding page with all your friends on your social networks. Donate now.
We started with a small seed funding from GSK, but we need to raise $10,000 more to help lupus patients from sea to shining sea. Why? We need time from program coordinators to match the patients, for orientation, for follow-up, for helping each pair of buddies at every stage. Give now, share and make it catch fire.
If you are a patient interested in the program, learn more, and sign up here. A program coordinator will be in touch with you. Any personal and medical information necessary to make the matches are treated with the highest degree of confidentiality. |
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LFNC is an active partner in
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