AUTO + Inflammatory Arthritis = X OR YZ

The Patient-Identified Problem and Patient-Infused Solution

This organization was founded because patients from all over the world found each other on social media, started talking, and realized it did not matter which AiArthritis disease we had, we all shared similar symptoms and diagnosis journeys. The 'ah-ha' moment was we realized we all shared "auto" (Autoimmune or Autoinflammatory disease) symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, etc.) and classic inflammatory arthritis symptoms (pain that felt like an injury, bone bruise, jumping from location, starting and stopping for no apparent reason, severe stiffness after periods of rest, etc.) We thought, "If we group these diseases together and teach the world what symptoms to look for, then maybe we could expedite earlier detection, referrals, and diagnosis (and then less "Mystery Patients," which is unfortunately common)."

Through talking to thousands of fellow patients, and in conjunction with learning about common disease overlap through our Go With Us! to Conferences program, we realized a potential solution to expediting diagnosis may be as simple as an equation: AUTO + Inflammatory Arthritis = X. And, if not X (one of our diseases), then maybe it's Y or Z. Given the frequency of fibromyalgia as a misdiagnosis or comorbidity, and the new realization of IgG4 Related Disease ("IgG4-RD") being detected in many with our diseases, we chose these two as the OR Y and Z diseases.

Early Detection Awareness Equation. An early detection equation for health practitioners -  AUTO (Autoimmune or Autoinflammatory disease) symptoms + Inflammatory Arthritis could be X (AiArthritis diseases) and, if not, maybe it's Y (IgG4), Z (fibromyalgia), or other similar conditions could be the best solution to help both the healthcare community and the public to better identify early disease.

Learn more about this project by listening to or watching Episode 82: AUTO + Inflammatory Arthritis - Diagnosis, Please! & Episode 90: Why Won't They Diagnose Me?

In conjunction with this awareness and education project, we will also be conducting an

IgG4-RD/AiArthritis disease prevalence study in our new AiArthritis Research Database

Through our "Go With Us!" to Conferences program, AiArthritis learned about IgG4-Related Disease (RD), is an autoimmune,  multi-organ, fibro-inflammatory condition that attacks organs (some of the most common most common being the pancreas, kidneys, eyes, and salivary glands. (Ref) But other organs can also be involved, too. Originally thought to be a strain of Sjogren's Disease, it is now it's own disease classification. Studies also link it to other AiArthritis diseases, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma/Systemic Sclerosis, Lupus, and Sarcoidosis.

We already know most people with one AiArthritis disease develop comorbidities, so is IgG4-RD one of them? Is it more common than we think? (IgG4-RD is currently considered a rare disease.)

Reference: National Library of Medicine