Health Special: Lupus and Plasminogen Deficiency

This episode of The Balancing Act focuses on two very different diseases: Lupus and Plasminogen Deficiency (PLGD). Fortunately, research is yielding encouraging treatment options for both diseases.

The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans — and at least five million people worldwide — have a form of lupus. Join us for a discussion of lupus and lupus nephritis, meet two courageous women who are battling the disease, plus we examine the latest clinical trials giving hope to medical professionals and sufferers.

Then, in our recurring Behind the Mystery segment, we examine Plasminogen Deficiency (PLGD) or Hypoplasminogenemia, an ultra-rare disease often misdiagnosed. A systemic and potentially life-threatening disease, PLGD frequently presents with ligneous conjunctivitis, an eye condition where the lids develop membranous growths. We meet a young lady who has been dealing with PLGD almost since birth, along with her mother, who has become a vocal advocate.