- With Mayo Clinic emeritus internist
Carl F. Anderson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Carl F. Anderson, M.D.
Carl Anderson, M.D.
Dr. Carl Anderson brings years of medical editing experience at Mayo Clinic to his role in helping guide health information editorial development.
He's an emeritus member of the Mayo Clinic staff. The Winterset, Iowa, native joined the Mayo Clinic staff in 1967 and is board certified in internal medicine and nephrology. He practiced clinical nephrology and internal medicine, with a special interest in kidney failure, renal transplantation, nutrition and medical publishing.
"The Web gives consumers vast health-related information to use both in planning healthy lifestyles and in answering specific medical questions," he says. "Reliability and applicability remain the Achilles' heel of website health information. I believe I can help with both reliability and applicability, for I have extensive clinical experience with questions and problems in internal medicine, nephrology and nutrition."
Dr. Anderson was in charge of Mayo's Nutrition Clinic, is an emeritus professor of medicine at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, was an editor for Mayo Clinic Proceedings and was head of the Scientific Publications.
Symptoms (3)
- Lupus: Can it cause hair loss?
- Lupus: Can it cause hives?
- Livedo reticularis: When is it a concern?
Complications (1)
- Lupus: How does it affect the kidneys?
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Question
Lupus: How does it affect the kidneys?
How does lupus affect my kidneys?
Answer
from Carl F. Anderson, M.D.
About half the people who have systemic lupus erythematosus develop some form of kidney inflammation, called lupus nephritis. This inflammation can lead to kidney failure, but the course of the lupus and the pattern of its effects on the kidneys is quite variable and hard to predict.
Initially, lupus nephritis may cause no signs or symptoms. But if inflammation is widespread and persistent, it leads to impaired kidney function, indicated by:
- Increased protein in the urine
- Elevated creatinine in the blood
- High blood pressure
- Swelling (edema) of the feet and lower legs
If you're diagnosed with lupus, your doctor will likely recommend tests to evaluate your kidney function. If a problem is detected, your doctor may recommend a kidney biopsy — to help determine the severity of the kidney disease and appropriate treatment.
Next questionLupus: Can it cause hair loss?
- Rose BD, et al. Types of renal disease in systemic lupus erythematosus. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 24, 2012.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..C2009-0-38601-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=291436269-101. Accessed Feb. 24, 2012.
- Anderson CA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 1, 2012.
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