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Which autoimmune diseases are among the most common?
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immune system disorder
False-color scanning electron micrograph of a T cell infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the agent that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system malfunctions and reacts against the body’s own healthy cells. While more than 80 such conditions have been identified, some are significantly more prevalent than others.1
Among the most common autoimmune conditions are:
- Type 1 diabetes: An autoimmune form of diabetes often arising in childhood, characterized by the destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.12
- Multiple sclerosis: A condition affecting the central nervous system.1
- Lupus erythematosus: A systemic disease that can cause inflammation in the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs.1
- Rheumatoid arthritis: A chronic, progressive disorder that causes inflammation and damage to the connective tissues and joints.13
- Crohn disease: A condition involving chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.1
These disorders affect approximately 4 to 5 percent of the global population. Notably, many of these conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Hashimoto disease, disproportionately affect women.14