Besides addiction to pain killers Michael Jackson reportedly struggled against autoimmune disorders: Lupus, Vitiligo and Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency. Photo Credit: Sawf NewsJune 28, 2009, (Sawf News) - Besides addiction to pain killers Michael Jackson reportedly struggled against autoimmune disorders: Lupus, Vitiligo and Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Deepak Chopra, a long time Michael Jackson friend, confirmed reports dating back to 2007 that Michael Jackson had lupus, an auto immune disorder that can affect any part of the body.
Jackson also had vitiligo, which causes depigmentation of skin in patches. There is some evidence linking vitiligo to a combination of autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors.
"He had a lot of blotches on his skin, huge white patches all over his body. So he would cover up his body and that of course gave food for fodder to the press," Chopra says.
According to Chopra's son, Gotham, also a friend of Michael, the singer was more bothered by vitiligo.
"It was very disturbing to him that people thought he always wanted to be white and he was bleaching his skin. [But] he identified as being a black person and so it was troubling to him that everyone thought that he was a hater of his own race," Gotham explains. "And the lupus, why he didn't just come out more clearly and say that was the problem, I'm not sure. But I know it was something that bothered him a lot."
In an upcoming biography of Jackson called The Final Years of Michael Jackson, author Ian Halperin claims that the singer also suffered from another genetic disorder called Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency that can cause chronic obstructive lung disease in adult life in many people with the condition.
Those inflicted with the disorder need to avoid damaging inhalants, the reason why Jackson was often seen in public wearing a surgical mask.
Interestingly, Halperin claims that six months ago he predicted that Jackson could die within six months, but his suggestion was dismissed as a "complete fabrication" by Jackson's official spokesman, Tohme Tohme.
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