A Cross-Specialty Collaboration in Support of Autoimmune Disease Awareness

March is Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month.

Data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicated that approximately 23.5 million Americans in the United States (ie, >7% of the total population) are affected by autoimmune diseases.¹ However, these numbers are constantly on the rise for the “invisible epidemic.”

In a recently published article on their website,² the Lupus Research Alliance alluded to the coincidence, or lack thereof, in March being recognized as both Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month and Women’s History Month, in acknowledgement of the increased risk for autoimmune diseases in women (80% of all autoimmune disease diagnoses).³

On behalf of the Haymarket Medical Network, we interviewed prominent clinicians, researchers, and study authors in the rheumatology, ophthalmology, dermatology, and pulmonology space to highlight the importance of autoimmune disease research and patient care and management in clinical practices.

Symbolic of the chronic, systemic, multiorgan, multifactorial nature, and multimorbidity of autoimmune diseases, we have developed specially designed content at the intersection of the different clinical specialties.

COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases: Patient Perspectives and Concerns

My Child Was Diagnosed With JIA, When Should We See an Eye Doctor?

Vitiligo: Present and Future, With John E. Harris, MD

Exploring Autoimmunity in Asthma: A Clinical Overview and Q&A

References

1. The Autoimmune Disease Coordinating Committee. Progress in autoimmune diseases research. National Institutes of Health. Published March 2005. Accessed March 24, 2021. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/sites/default/files/adccfinal.pdf
2. Lupus Research Alliance. What do national autoimmune diseases awareness and women’s history months have in common? https://www.lupusresearch.org/what-do-national-autoimmune-diseases-awareness-and-womens-history-months-have-in-common/
3. Angum F, Khan T, Kaler J, Siddiqui L, Hussain A. The prevalence of autoimmune disorders in women: a narrative review. Cureus. 2020;12(5):e8094. doi:10.7759/cureus.8094