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 Dis-
eases 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 mul-
tiple-organ systems, and can be life-threatening; 
Whereas researchers have identified over 80 different auto-
immune diseases, and suspect at least 40 additional dis-
eases of qualifying as autoimmune diseases; 
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Whereas researchers have identified a close genetic relation-
ship and a common pathway of disease that exists among 
autoimmune diseases, explaining the clustering of auto-
immune diseases in individuals and families; 
Whereas the family of autoimmune diseases is under-recog-
nized, 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 diag-
noses 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 dif-
ficult to diagnose; 
Whereas, because autoimmune diseases are difficult to diag-
nose, 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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Whereas a study by the American Autoimmune Related Dis-
eases Association revealed that it takes the average pa-
tient 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 in-
crease 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 in-
creased education, awareness, and research into all as-
pects of autoimmune diseases through a collaborative ap-
proach; 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, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that there should be established a National 
Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month; 
(2) the House of Representatives supports the 
efforts of health care providers and autoimmune pa-
tient advocacy and education organizations to in-
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crease awareness of the causes of, and treatments 
for, autoimmune diseases; and 
(3) the House of Representatives supports the 
goal of increasing Federal funding for aggressive re-
search to learn the root causes of autoimmune dis-
eases, as well as the best diagnostic methods and 
treatments for people with autoimmune diseases. 
Æ 
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