Autoimmune Connect –
All Blogs
Where I am Now
I began sharing my story here in 2015, writing from a patient’s perspective. I had just left another specialist’s office, holding lab results that didn’t really point to anything clear. For years, I was sent from internal medicine to orthopedics, rheumatology, and endocrinology. Every specialist was considerate and ruled out
Why the Care Team Model is So Important to Autoimmune Patients
A decade ago, I became the CEO of my own health after growing frustrated with conventional medicine’s fragmented approach. I was bounced from one specialist to another—internal medicine, orthopedics, rheumatology, endocrinology, chronic pain—each insisting, “It’s just stress from working on Wall Street with four kids.” The time, money, and emotional
Unlocking Autoimmune Potential in Women’s Health
In the United States, over 35 million women live with an autoimmune disease1, yet less than 1% of women’s health funding is allocated to these conditions2. The impact is extensive: women often spend years trying to get a diagnosis, face daily symptoms that disrupt work and family life, and have
Why Autoimmune Disease is a Women’s Health Issue
The Disproportionate Burden of Autoimmune Disease in Women Autoimmune disease is a women’s health issue! Autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases (AIIDs) afflict more than 35 million women in the United States alone1. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 75-80% of autoimmune patients are female. These disparities are most evident
Menopause and Autoimmune Disease: A Complicated Relationship
The intersection of menopause and autoimmune disease represents a crucial yet underexplored aspect of women’s health. With 80% of autoimmune patients being female and millions of women experiencing menopause each year, understanding this connection is vital for improving health outcomes. The hormonal changes during menopause don’t just mark a life
Polyautoimmunity: When Autoimmune Diseases Converge
The world of autoimmune diseases is far more complex than medical professionals once believed. Emerging research reveals a fascinating phenomenon that challenges traditional diagnostic boundaries: polyautoimmunity. This groundbreaking concept suggests that autoimmune diseases are not isolated conditions, but are interconnected and can coexist and interact in profound ways. Defining Polyautoimmunity:
The NIH Report: “Enhancing NIH Research on Autoimmune Disease”
May 2022 Report This May 2022 549-page NIH report represents a significant breakthrough in autoimmune research focus. Its recommendations have major downstream implications for CDC statistics, basic research, R&D, medical education & clinical guidelines. Funded and launched in 2019, before the pandemic but even more relevant since COVID-19 spotlighted post-viral
Siloed Specialties & Treatments for Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune Diseases are Siloed by Specialty Click the arrows next to the slide to view the sources. Looks a mess, doesn’t it? It is! Autoimmune diseases are scattered across many different medical specialties, creating a siloed landscape in which patients must coordinate and navigate for themselves. This illustration maps high-prevalence
The Chronic Disease Epidemic: Visible & Invisible
The Visible Chronic Disease Epidemic Click the arrows next to the slide to view the sources. The chronic disease population has grown substantially in recent years since modern medicine has extended the human lifespan. Depending on sources, 40-60% of Americans (128-140M people) have one or more chronic health conditions. Moreover,
A Patient Journey Solution (Part 3): Digitally Enabled V1C
A solution to convoluted autoimmune patient journeys?
Digitally enabled, virtual first care (V1C) offers a potential solution to convoluted autoimmune patient journeys. V1C especially offers significant advantages for autoimmune and inflammatory disease (AIID) patients in accessing specialized care. Virtual specialist practices get patients to a rheumatologist or gastroenterologist much faster (days rather than months) and with less
The Autoimmune Patient Journey (Part 2)
A Deeper Dive into the Loops
Many Convoluted Stages Along AIID Patient Journeys The convoluted journey of patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (AIIDs) has many stages. Each stage presents challenges that may cause patients to drop out before they get the care they need. Unlike cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, there are no population screening