Newswise — DETROIT, May 19, 2016 – U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) has recognized the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.’s (AARDA) 25th anniversary in The Congressional Record, praising the organization for its longstanding and tireless work on behalf of autoimmune disease patients everywhere.
The May 12 Congressional Record details the history of AARDA, its mission and enormous accomplishments for a quarter century. Congresswoman Dingell was pleased to present AARDA’s platform to Congress.
"Autoimmune diseases impact 50 million Americans and are the second leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S.," said Congresswoman Dingell who presented AARDA with a plaque featuring the Congressional Record entry. "Twenty-five years ago, AARDA was established to bring people together to educate and advocate so individuals suffering and their families would have hope and so we could move closer to finding treatments and cures for these devastating diseases. Michigan is proud to be home to an organization that is making a difference in people's lives."
There are more than 100 known autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis, Graves’ disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, Type 1 diabetes, relapsing polychondritis, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and lupus. The underlying cause of all of these diseases is autoimmunity which disproportionately affects women. Of the 50 million Americans living and coping with ADs, more than 75 percent are women. Given the genetic component, autoimmune diseases can run in families. AD is one of the top 10 leading causes of death of women under the age of 65 and is responsible for more than $100 billion in direct health care costs annually.
“Thanks to Congresswoman Dingell, AARDA and its work now have an official place in American history. Her support means that we are on the right path with awareness and education. We hope that with her acknowledgement, more people will join AARDA to advocate on behalf of autoimmune disease patients everywhere,” said Virginia Ladd, founder and executive director, AARDA.
About American Autoimmune Related Diseases AssociationCelebrating its 25th anniversary, American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is the nation's only non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity as a category of disease and a major women's health issue, and promoting a collaborative research effort in order to find better treatments and a cure for all autoimmune diseases. For more information, please visit www.aarda.org.
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