Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Title: To increase awareness of and research on autoimmune diseases, which are a major women's health problem, affect as many as 23.5 million Americans, and encompass more than 100 interrelated diseases, such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, polymyositis, pemphigus, myasthenia gravis, Wegener's granulomatosis, psoriasis, celiac disease, autoimmune platelet disorders, scleroderma, alopecia areata, vitiligo, autoimmune thyroid disease, and sarcoidosis, and for other purposes.

Why You Should Care
While not directly authorizing new funding for pulmonary fibrosis, the PARAid Act of 2009 would focus new Federal funding on autoimmune disorders that may be connected to pulmonary fibrosis, such as scleroderma and sarcoidosis. As a result, new research into these diseases could lead to improved understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis in the future.