Young, black women have the highest rate of developing lupus and are most likely to be diagnosed at a younger age than whites and during childbearing years, according to a new University of Michigan study of lupus in Southeastern Michigan

In Michigan, lupus prevalence was three times higher than previous estimates, reaching one in 537 black female Michiganders in the region, compared to one in 1,153 white women. In addition to experiencing the disease earlier in life - which can mean living with the condition over more years - black females with lupus also faced a higher degree of serious health complications, such as kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant. The findings, which are based on data collected as part of a public health initiative in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Community Health, dovetail with a sister project from Emory University in Atlanta that found that the incidence rate for lupus was three times higher for black women than for white women in Georgia.