A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation says that more than 15 million Americans have at least one autoimmune illness. This means that the immune system incorrectly eliminates healthy cells in the body. The study also found that more than a third of these people have been diagnosed with more than one autoimmune illness.
Psoriatic arthritis and pernicious anemia are two related autoimmune diseases. Although they are not the most frequent autoimmune disorders, there is a link between them.
Psoriasis is a skin condition that is often accompanied by psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory form of arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis develops in approximately 30% of individuals with psoriasis. In psoriatic arthritis, the immune system attacks healthy tissues, causing inflammation, stiffness, and discomfort in the joints, tendons, and ligaments.
Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the immune system’s attack on mucosal cells in the stomach and nerve cells. Daniel Kim, D.O., a primary care physician with Medical Offices of Manhattan in New York City, says, “It’s a type of vitamin B12 deficiency that happens when the body can’t absorb vitamin B12 from the digestive system. Your body can’t generate enough red blood cells if you don’t get enough vitamin B12.” Read the article.
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