IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 258 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should 

be established a National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2007 

Mr. ISRAEL submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

there should be established a National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month, and for other purposes. 

Whereas autoimmune diseases are chronic, disabling diseases 

in which underlying defects in the immune system lead 

the body to attack its own organs and tissues; 

Whereas autoimmune diseases can affect any part of the 

body, including the blood, blood vessels, muscles, nervous 

system, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, and multiple-organ systems, and can be life-threatening; 

Whereas researchers have identified over 80 different autoimmune diseases, and suspect at least 40 additional diseases of qualifying as autoimmune diseases; 


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•HRES 258 IH 

Whereas researchers have identified a close genetic relationship and a common pathway of disease that exists among 

autoimmune diseases, explaining the clustering of autoimmune diseases in individuals and families; 

Whereas the family of autoimmune diseases is under-recognized, and poses a major health care challenge to the 

United States; 

Whereas the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates 

that autoimmune diseases afflict up to 23,500,000 people 

in the United States, 75 percent of the people affected 

are women, and the prevalence of autoimmune diseases 

is rising; 

Whereas NIH estimates the annual direct health care costs 

associated with autoimmune diseases at more than 

$100,000,000,000, and there are over 250,000 new diagnoses each year; 

Whereas autoimmune diseases are among the top 10 leading 

causes of death in female children and adult women; 

Whereas autoimmune diseases most often affect children and 

young adults, leading to a lifetime of disability; 

Whereas diagnostic tests for most autoimmune diseases are 

not standardized, making autoimmune diseases very difficult to diagnose; 

Whereas, because autoimmune diseases are difficult to diagnose, treatment is often delayed, resulting in irreparable 

organ damage and unnecessary suffering; 

Whereas the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies 

reported that the United States is behind other countries 

in research into immune system self-recognition, the 

cause of autoimmune diseases; 


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•HRES 258 IH 

Whereas a study by the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association revealed that it takes the average patient with an autoimmune disease more than 4 years, and 

costs more than $50,000, to get a correct diagnosis; 

Whereas there is a significant need for more collaboration 

and cross-fertilization of basic autoimmune research; 

Whereas there is a significant need for research focusing on 

the etiology of all autoimmune-related diseases, to increase understanding of the root causes of these diseases 

rather than treating the symptoms after the diseases 

have had their destructive effect; 

Whereas the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient 

Groups is a coalition of national organizations focused on 

autoimmune diseases working to consolidate the voices of 

patients with autoimmune diseases and to promote increased education, awareness, and research into all aspects of autoimmune diseases through a collaborative approach; and 

Whereas designating May as ‘‘National Autoimmune Diseases 

Awareness Month’’ would help educate the public about 

autoimmune diseases and the need for research funding, 

accurate diagnosis, and effective treatments: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) it is the sense of the House of Representa3 tives that there should be established a National 

4 Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month; 

5 (2) the House of Representatives supports the 

6 efforts of health care providers and autoimmune pa7 tient advocacy and education organizations to inVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:06 Mar 22, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR258.IH HR258

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•HRES 258 IH 

1 crease awareness of the causes of, and treatments 

2 for, autoimmune diseases; and 

3 (3) the House of Representatives supports the 

4 goal of increasing Federal funding for aggressive re5 search to learn the root causes of autoimmune dis6 eases, as well as the best diagnostic methods and 

7 treatments for people with autoimmune diseases. 

Æ 


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