UAB Joins as Founding Member of the Global Sarcoidosis Alliance

May 08, 2023 at 05:49 pm by kbarrettalley


The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine’s Sarcoidosis Clinic has joined the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research as a founding member in their Global Sarcoidosis Alliance.

This new network of specialty clinics creates a network for patient and clinician education, innovates sharing of information to advance new therapies for treatment of sarcoidosis, and creates referral networks to connect patients with complex sarcoidosis with specialists.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas in one or more organs of the body. When left unchecked, chronic inflammation caused by granulomas can lead to fibrosis. This disorder affects the lungs in approximately 90 percent of cases, but it can affect almost any organ in the body. Despite increasing advances in research, sarcoidosis remains difficult to diagnose with limited treatment options and no known cure.

Disease presentation and severity vary widely among patients. In some cases, the disease goes away on its own. In others, the disease may not progress clinically, but individuals will still suffer from some symptoms that challenge their quality of life. The rest of patients — up to a third of people diagnosed with the disease — will require long-term treatment.

It is estimated that the prevalence of sarcoidosis in the United States ranges from 150,000 to 200,000, with an estimated 1.2 million individuals with sarcoidosis worldwide.

The FSR Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance brings together sarcoidosis clinics and hospitals committed to finding a cure and offering evidence-based care for those living with sarcoidosis.

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March 2024

Mar 20, 2024 at 11:19 am by kbarrettalley

Your March 2024 Issue of Birmingham Medical News is Here!