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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:
Some incidence, prevalence & growth estimates for selected autoimmune diseases (AIIDs)
We’ve compiled some incidence, prevalence and growth estimates for selected autoimmune diseases (AIIDs) as a follow up to our previous post. In that post, we surveyed the sorry state of US national autoimmune incidence & prevalence data. Summary: Per the May 2022 NIH Report: Enhancing Autoimmune Research the US has
Autoimmune Incidence & Prevalence: Why don’t we have good data on AIIDs?
Since 2010, we have sought autoimmune disease (AIID) incidence and prevalence data. Despite efforts by independent organizations like AARDA/AA, AIR and many single disease groups, we never found total national autoimmune statistics. NIH/CDC statistics bury AIIDs within siloed categories: Arthritis, diabetes, or by medical specialty: rheumatology, neurology, dermatology, endocrine, etc.
Stanford MedX Autoimmune 2014-17 Presentations by DrBonnie360
We are here republishing our 2014-17 Stanford MedX autoimmune presentations, plus unpublished material from our 2015 Autoimmune Workshop. As we develop our 2023 State of Autoimmunity Report, we’ve been revisiting our previous analyses. For another example, see our 2016-19 patient-centered vision and business opportunities post. In 2015, Bonnie conducted an
Our pre-Covid vision of autoimmune business opportunities
Back in 2019, pre-Covid pandemic, we already saw attractive investment & business opportunities to meet the large and growing need in autoimmune and chronic immuno-inflammatory diseases. Despite being as prevalent as cancer and growing faster, these diseases remain invisible: under-recognized, under-researched and under-served. In particular, multiple medical specialty silos within
Can Air Purifiers Fight COVID or Wildfire Smoke?
Two types of purifiers: filters and sanitizers There are two types of air purifiers—filters and sanitizers—though some combine both in one product (1). Filters, most effectively, high-efficiency particulate-arresting (HEPA) filters, remove physical particles like dust, pollen, and smoke from the air. This can help alleviate symptoms for people with allergies or
Post-Viral Syndromes – A History of Neglect (Long COVID Part 2)
The emergence of post-Covid syndrome shines new light on post-viral syndromes
The emergence of post-COVID syndrome shines new light on the old problem of post-viral syndromes In Part 1, we discussed how the rise of long covid shines new light on chronic post-viral disorders long ignored by researchers and clinicians. But this issue didn’t just appear with the SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 pandemic.