What does a positive ANA reading mean?
A negative ANA reading means no autoantibodies are present in the body. However, a positive ANA reading alone does not indicate an autoimmune disease. Why? • The prevalence of ANAs in healthy individuals is about 3-15%. The production of these autoantibodies is strongly age-dependent, and increases to 10-37% in healthy persons over the age of 65. Even healthy people with viral infections can have a positive ANA, albeit for a short time. • Some medications can cause a positive ANA. It is important to talk with your doctor all the drugs you are taking—prescription, over-the-counter and street. • Other conditions, such as cancer, can cause a positive ANA. The positive ANA reading simply tells your doctor to keep looking. In fact, you may have a “false positive” ANA, which means that the evidence is not there to make a diagnosis of lupus or any other autoimmune disease. To make a definite diagnosis, your doctor will need more blood tests along with history of your symptoms and a physical e
