Autoimmune Awareness Month and Your AQ
Are you familiar with autoimmune diseases? Did you know that 75% of patients with autoimmune diseases are women? The American Autoimmune Related Disease Association (AARDA) celebrated the "National Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month" in March (last month). AARDA is the only national non-profit health agency dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity, the major cause of serious chronic diseases, primarily in women.
Today, fewer than 13% of Americans can name, unaided, an autoimmune disease. It is so important that we know our family's'AQ or autoimmune quotient, as autoimmune disease runs in families.
Here are a few things that we should be aware of:
- Autoimmune diseases are one of the top 10 killers of women under the age of 65. The major cause of death in autoimmune diseases is the lack of early and correct diagnosis.
- Autoimmune diseases cluster in families – meaning if your mother had rheumatoid arthritis and your sister had Crohn's disease, you could be at higher risk.
- Autoimmune diseases are on the rise in both in the U.S. and around the world – for example: celiac disease has tripled in the past 10 years.
Sadly, with so many statistics linking women as the primary gender affected by autoimmunity, it is rarely discussed as a women's health issue. And it is time we change that! March is only one month dedicated to learning more about this disease, but it should not and does not stop there. We must all do our part to educate one another 365 days a year.
For more information, please visit www.aarda.org or www.westglen.com/online/aard_psa.htm to watch a special iPSA. Want to do more? You can text A-A-R-D-A to 20222 to donate $5 for the benefit of AARDA by the Mobile Giving Foundation.
July 6th, 2010 at 5:29 am
With more and more awareness about autoimmune diseases will help people to save their lives in time. In this regard The American Autoimmune Related Disease Association (AARDA)who celebrated march as the autoimmune disease motn is praiseworthy.