Autoimmune diseases are known for disproportionately affecting women, with 70-80% of those diagnosed being women. Recently, a study led by Stanford University sheds light on why autoimmune diseases are more prevalent in women than in men through a molecule called Xist (pronounced as "exist").

Receiving an autoimmune disease diagnosis can be life-altering since it leads individuals into a challenging journey of managing their symptoms, receiving treatments, and experiencing the emotional toll of living with a chronic condition.

Autoimmune diseases have long been under the limelight as a class of diseases. While cancer and heart disease statistics are often aggregated to show their impact, autoimmune diseases are rarely classified as a class.

Autoimmune diseases can manifest in various ways, and some symptoms can go unnoticed or be attributed to other causes. Some common autoimmune disease symptoms are fatigue, joint pain and swelling, skin problems, recurring fever, and more.

It's been four years since the beginning of the pandemic and the medical community continues to struggle with the complexities of the lingering effects of COVID-19, also known as Long-COVID.

As we embark on a new year, many individuals are forming goals and habits that benefit their health and well-being, such as exercising, meditating, or eating healthier foods. Those with chronic illnesses may also have the goal of managing their symptoms.

Back in June, we discussed how CAR-T therapy may be used to treat various autoimmune diseases such as lupus and myasthenia gravis. Although CAR-T therapy is mainly used to fight cancer, researchers have been able to use this therapy to modify T-cells to attack B-cells that incorrectly produce antibodies that attack their own cells.

As 2023 draws to a close, we want to give everyone a recap of the past year. To raise awareness of autoimmune diseases, we wrote a blog post on autoinflammatory diseases for Global Genes and continued to expand our network by connecting with individual disease advocacy groups.

One of the first things a newly-diagnosed autoimmune disease patient learns about is called “step therapy” or “fail-first”. This forces patients to first try, and possibly fail, on lower-cost medications before the insurance company agrees to cover the medication originally prescribed by the patient's healthcare provider.

Back in August, we wrote about how heat may affect those with autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately, the cold weather may also induce flare-ups for some autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, psoriasis, and lupus.