East Detroit, MI October 1, 2010: According to a new Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, "Women's Health Research: Progress, Pitfalls, and Promise," published Oct. 2010 autoimmune diseases are among several conditions including Alzheimer's disease, gynecological cancers and other cervical cancers, as well as maternal morbidity and mortality for which there has been little progress in research over the past 20 years.

According to the IOM report, "...as a group (autoimmune diseases) are the leading cause of morbidity in women, greatly affecting quality of life. Despite their prevalence and morbidity and the availability of drugs to treat some of the symptoms, little progress has been made toward a better understanding of the conditions, in identifying the risk factors, or in developing diagnostic tools, better treatments, or cures." The IOM report also identified potential reasons for this lag in research and understanding of autoimmune disease, which included:
• Degree of attention from government agencies, congress and resulting research funding
• Availability of interested researchers trained in a given field
• Adequacy of understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and natural history of autoimmunity
• Adequacy of understanding behavioral factors associated with decreased risk
• Availability of specialized tests and screening programs to identify those at risk

The 100+ autoimmune diseases are all caused by autoimmunity, the process by which one's immune system turns against healthy cells as though they were an invading virus or infection. Up to 50 million Americans have an autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, Crohn's disease, Graves' disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and scleroderma. There is no cure for autoimmune disease. While therapies are available to treat the symptoms of these varied diseases, patients living with autoimmune disease today face a lifelong struggle with chronic illness, high treatment costs, and compromised quality of life.

"Sadly, the findings in the IOM report come as no surprise to AARDA," says American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) President and Executive Director, Virginia T. Ladd. "However, we applaud the IOM for bringing these issues to light, as autoimmune diseases are a significant factor in national health care costs and affect women 78% more often than men. The time has long passed that research in women's health take a holistic look at women, rather than individual parts. It's time that autoimmune diseases begin receiving due recognition as a major cause of death and disability in women."

About the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA)
The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association is dedicated to the eradication of autoimmune diseases and the alleviation of suffering and the socioeconomic impact of autoimmunity through fostering and facilitating collaboration in the areas of education, public awareness, research, and patient services in an effective, ethical and efficient manner.

AARDA is the only national nonprofit health agency dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity, the major cause of serious chronic diseases. Approximately 50 million Americans, 20 percent of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 78 percent of those affected--some 37.5 million people--are women. Still, with these statistics, autoimmunity is rarely discussed as a women's health issue.

For more information on autoimmunity and/or AARDA, contact AARDA by phone at (586) 776-3900 or on the web at www.aarda.org.

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