Nick Cannon diagnosed with autoimmune disease

Washington, Mar 3 (ANI): Nick Cannon, who was hospitalised for kidney failure and blood clots earlier this year, has been diagnosed with a Lupus-like autoimmune disease.

The 'America's Got Talent' host was hospitalised for kidney failure in January and then again a few weeks later with blood clots in his lungs, and doctors have now established it was all connected to the previously-undiagnosed medical condition, which is said to be similar to Lupus.

Lupus causes the immune system to attack healthy cells, tissue and organs.

"The blood clot thing was probably the scariest because I've known people who have passed away from that," Contactmusic quoted him as telling People Magazine.

"I thought I was getting better and then that happened, so that kind of came out of nowhere. The condition is something I'm going to be living with all my life. I'm just trying to make sure I put my health first.

"The kidney disease was a result of an autoimmune disease that [doctors] found in my system," he said.

Cannon, 31, added that the blood clots were directly connected to his kidney infection but is hopeful he is now on the mend.

"It's a lot of stuff but it's all in order now.

"They kind of say [my] autoimmune [disease] is - like a lupus type of thing, but no one else in my family has it.''

Despite the health scare, Cannon feels "blessed" and is concentrating on spending time with his wife Mariah Carey and their 10-month-old twins Moroccan and Monroe.

"I feel blessed to be alive. If it wasn't discovered, I don't know [what would have happened]," he added. (ANI)