Around 1 in 10 of the UK population are affected by an autoimmune condition.1 The autoimmunity hub contains a mixture of learning styles on a variety of autoimmune conditions.
Autoimmunity (AI) can affect a variety of body systems. The ones most commonly encountered in primary care are covered in this hub. eLearning modules revisit the basics of connective tissue disorders (CTD), going on to look at inherited collagen disorders such as Marfan syndrome, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and joint hypermobility syndrome. In the rheumatology vein, there are also learning modules on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis, as well as a podcast on rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Gastrointestinal conditions are covered, with a particular focus on coeliac disease and exploring the role of autoimmunity in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Coeliac disease resources include eLearning modules, podcasts and a 5-minute screencast which looks in more detail at coeliac disease in children.
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are discussed in a podcast with Dr Kevin Barrett, a GP in Hertfordshire, and Chair of the Primary Care Society of Gastroenterology. He offers tips on recognition of these conditions and suggestions on next steps for GPs if they are suspected.
Further podcasts and case studies, some of which are on the RCGP’s autoimmunity app, cover Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, oral allergy syndrome, when to provide an adrenaline auto-injector, the management of cow’s milk protein allergy and the ‘one airway’ theory of asthma and allergic rhinitis.
- Conrad N, Misra S, Verbakel JY, Verbeke G, et al. Incidence, prevalence, and co-occurrence of autoimmune disorders over time and by age, sex, and socioeconomic status: a population-based cohort study of 22 million individuals in the UK. Lancet. 2023 Jun 3;401(10391):1878-1890. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00457-9
