While fessing up to all her bad health habits to the U.K.'s Times Online, Lady Gaga also revealed that she might have lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the body instead of protecting it. The singer's aunt died of the disease in 1976, and LG has been tested for the disease. Although she remains tight-lipped about whether the results came back positive, getting tested was a healthy move.
Why? Because if a close relative has an autoimmune disease, you're more likely to develop one yourself. The fact that Lady Gaga's aunt had lupus puts her at greater risk of developing it as well as a host of other autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes, celiac and multiple sclerosis. Autoimmune diseases affect 30 million women-three times more than men-and diagnoses are on the rise. Luckily, new research is finding better treatments and early detection can help head off some of the worst symptoms before they appear.
Are you at risk? Check out the warning signs to watch for. And read how one woman's battle with lupus almost cost her her life and that of her unborn son.
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Photo Credit: WWD
