Newswise — BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 4, 2014: The “What Every American Needs to Know About Autoimmune Disease” public forum arrives in Boston on Saturday, November 15th. Registration is $20 and the program will begin at 9:30am ending at 2:30pm. It will be held at Holiday Inn Express located at 69R Boston Street in South Boston. The event is $20 and includes lunch.
The conference series provides autoimmune disease patients, their families and friends, as well as the general public with information on autoimmunity as a common thread of 100+ diseases. Additional topics will include chronic illness coping skills, the latest in research for autoimmune diseases, information on women and autoimmunity, and a dialogue on why it’s important for the general public to know their own family history of autoimmune diseases—as autoimmune diseases tend to cluster in families.
The program features the “Father of Autoimmunity”, Dr. Noel R. Rose, who is the Director of the Autoimmune Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, Rita Baron-Faust, co-author of The Autoimmune Connection and Dr. David Leader, an Associate Professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.
Northeastern University student Lilly Stairs has a variety of autoimmune diseases which include Crohn's Disease, Psoriasis and hypothyroidism. She is currently planning an Autoimmune Disease Advocacy Day in March of 2015. She says that a forum of this kind is needed in Boston.
“I am elated that Boston was selected for autoimmune disease forum. So many young adults in my age demographic are being affected by these horrible diseases and they need to know that they are not alone. The forum is also worthwhile as the community needs to know what autoimmune disease symptoms to look for within their own families,” says Stairs.
A growing concern worldwide, more than 50 million Americans are thought to have an autoimmune disease (AD). Women are at much higher risk than men as AD’s affect women 75 percent more often. Currently AD’s are one of the top 10 killers of women under the age of 65. Included in the 100+ autoimmune diseases are lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögrens syndrome, psoriasis, celiac disease, scleroderma, and type 1 diabetes. To reserve your seat, please call (586) 776-3900 or purchase your tickets online via: bostonad.eventbrite.com.
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 75 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. ###