More Than 200,000 Americans Have Lupus By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Jan. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Just over 200,000 Americans have the autoimmune disorder lupus, and minority women are at highest risk, according to a new study. It's the first estimate of how widespread the disease is in the United States. The number comes close to reclassifying lupus as a rare disease, defined as an illness affecting 200,000 Americans or fewer, the researchers said. "Our study potentially redefines systemic lupus erythematosus as a rare disease in the United States and lays the groundwork for where we need to focus our efforts to reduce the burden of this disease on Americans," lead investigator Dr. Peter Izmirly said in a news release from NYU Langone Health in New York City. He's a rheumatologist and associate professor of medicine at the health system.