081 Dr. Meghan Free: Autoimmune Diseases

With the incidents of autoimmune diseases on the rise, it is likely that you may know someone with one or have at least heard of them. These autoimmune diseases are becoming more talked about in society. In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Meghan Free discuss what these autoimmune diseases are, how they work, and how they can be treated. They also discuss the risk factors and predispositions for these diseases as well as the Hygiene Hypothesis and immune system education. 

 Key Takeaways:

• There are approximately 100 types of autoimmune disease, though some are exceedingly rare. Others like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Type I Diabetes are much more common. 
• Most patients who have lived on immunosuppressants must be cautious and take precautions
• If you look at the rates of autoimmune diseases in developing nations versus developed countries, they're much much lower in those developing countries versus a country like the United States. 

"We know that there are certain genes, especially genes related to the immune system, that can predispose a person to eventually developing an autoimmune disease. However, it's important to note here that merely having a gene that's associated with autoimmune disease does not guarantee that you will ever develop the disease." —  Dr. Meghan Free

Connect with Dr. Meghan Free:

Professional Bio: med.unc.edu/medicine/directory/meghan-free/  

Connect with Therese:

Website:   www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

Email: [email protected]

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