Christine Gustafson, Executive Director and CEO of the TED Community Organization, discusses the new Graves’ Community website.
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by generalized overactivity of the thyroid gland. Thyroid eye disease (TED) and Graves’ are usually comorbid conditions. Graves’ disease affects approximately 1% to 2% of the adult population, with an estimated 40% of patients subsequently developing TED over the course of their lifetime.
Recently, the TED Community Organization launched a new Graves’ Disease website as a companion to their TED website, an initiative aimed at reconnecting Graves’ disease and TED in the minds of patients and physicians. The two conditions were separated by Horizon/Amgen for marketing purposes about 6 years ago, however around 95% of TED patients also have Graves’.
The website focuses on providing trusted, patient-centered education under the TED Community umbrella. Main themes include helping people better understand Graves’ disease, recognizing the connection between Graves’ disease and TED, exploring treatment options, following emerging research, and discovering reliable resources from the beginning of the patient journey.
Graves’ disease also has some upcoming medical research, including novel biologic therapies designed to address the underlying autoimmune mechanisms that drive Graves’ disease. While these investigational treatments are still being studied in clinical trials, they represent a new era of scientific discovery and renewed hope for patients and families. Patients can stay up to date with this clinical research on the new website.
Visit the new website at gravescommunity.org
To learn more about Graves’ disease, TED, and other rare autoimmune conditions, visit https://checkrare.com/diseases/autoimmune-and-auto-inflammatory-disorders/