Is autoimmune disease a leading cause of death?

The CDC publishes a list of leading causes of death in the US. Top among the list are heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19. While heart diseases and cancers are often grouped as a class in calculating death rates and evaluating disease impact, autoimmune diseases are not. How much of an impact do autoimmune diseases have?

One study that examined this found autoimmune disease to be a top-10 "leading cause of death among young and middle-aged women." For women between the ages of 15 and 64, autoimmune disease was more deadly than the 8th “official” leading cause of death. Another study conducted in the UK confirmed that autoimmune disease is a leading cause of death for women under 75. Moreover, it was found that "death counts for specific autoimmune diseases had been underestimated."  

“Autoimmune diseases are a leading cause of death among females . . . but their collective impact remains hidden in current disease classification systems. Grouping these disorders together may help promote research needed to identify common determinants and future prevention strategies.

This is a recurring theme for autoimmune diseases. They are often underdiagnosed and undercounted. Statistics on autoimmune diseases tend to focus on isolated diseases even though, as a class, autoimmune diseases share many common symptoms and treatment options. What does it take for us to be counted? 

At the Autoimmune Registry, we are pushing for autoimmune diseases to be recognized as a major class of diseases that impact a significant portion of the population (estimated 23M in the US). To support our mission, please join our registry or share it with others. The more data we have, the more compelling of a case we can make on the devastating impact of autoimmune diseases. To contribute to our campaign to normalize the conversation around autoimmune diseases, make a video here.  Donations are greatly appreciated!