How serious a threat does lupus pose to heart health?
The cardiovascular system is a main target of lupus. It can directly weaken the heart by causing inflammation of the muscle itself (myocarditis) or its inner lining (endocarditis). But the most common heart involvement in people with lupus is inflammation in the sac around the heart (pericarditis), which causes shortness of breath and sharp chest pain. These complications are typically treated with powerful anti-inflammatory and immune system suppressants such as prednisone, a corticosteroid.
