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Senate Supports Crohn's and Colitis Awareness

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    Supporting the goals and ideals of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week

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About -- -- now that's very close to -- personally.

And this has to do with a senate resolution.

That has just been passed this is senate resolution 19 -- nine.

And I'll read this to you it designates this week December 1 through December 7.

A resolution supporting the goals and ideas of crohn's and colitis awareness week.

I'll read it real fast senate resolution 199 express his appreciation to the family members and caregivers.

Who support people in the United States living with Crohn's Disease.

And altered -- colitis.

It also -- health care professionals who care for Crohn's Disease.

And -- sort of colitis patients and biomedical researchers who do work to advance researching into developing new treatments for these diseases which impact.

Almost one and a half.

Million people in this country alone and people all over the world and I said it's close to me personally because I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease.

Right after I graduated from college about twenty years or so ago I shouldn't have just -- -- myself but I did.

Anyway let's talk more about this important resolution.

And about these diseases which are inflammatory bowel -- is how they're classified.

And joining us to talk about that as doctor Ellen Sheryl who is.

-- the -- Roberts IBD center at Weill Cornell which is here in New York City and then you specialize in treating patients with inflammatory I do things.

Glad that you hear and Rondell -- -- is the executive director.

Of the crohn's and colitis foundation of America's greater New York chapter which helped so many people in the New York City area and it's great to see you -- -- You've been a good friend for a long long time first at all explain to people doctor show what what is -- what are inflammatory bowel disease I've mentioned crohn's and colitis but.

What are we talking about.

Lets -- go back to the basics they're basically inflammation diseases that affect the intestine but also areas outside of the intestine and what is inflammation we all recognize -- -- we see it on our hands it's basically.

The first stage in wound.

Healing.

And it's -- -- it's raised its tender.

And so you can look at a sunburn as inflammation as well in many ways inflammatory bowel disease crohn's and colitis is an inflammation in the GI tract the second inside -- Crohn's Disease can affect anywhere in the GI -- from the mouth to the very bottom of the GI tract.

Where is all sort of colitis tends to be inflammation limited to parts of the colon or the entire -- why do people get it.

So why people get it these and believed to be related to some environmental.

Com -- -- whether it's a bacteria in your -- There tends to be a genetic susceptibility.

And this drives and -- controlled inflammatory or inflammation response.

So all of us actually -- GI tract have inflammation you can ask why doesn't everybody get inflammatory bowel disease because the natural state -- the GI tract is inflammation but it's.

Controlled inflammation.

In crohn's and colitis the inflammation is -- control.

The -- never comes off the fuel or the gas tank it just constantly fueling this inflammatory response there -- -- white blood cells immune cells that.

-- factories that make these inflammatory proteins.

And again we think that it's occurring in a genetic background and with bacterial -- so -- or two major projects -- -- The Human Genome Project which has at -- it.

Now probably close to nine New Yorkers -- more than a hundred genes associated with these diseases.

And the human micro bio on the got micro bio which is looking at all the bacteria in -- got to see how those -- -- cause inflammation.

And what do we know about the progress of these projects and are we close to finding a cure because.

People who have these conditions they are chronic people will live with these conditions over their lives that.

Tragedy is that these conditions as you alluded to affect young people in the prime of their lives.

It's increasing being incidents so more and more people are being affected by these diseases at younger and younger ages six months.

And then of course teens twenties and thirties.

It may be president Kennedy had this in a disease that's also debatable but the point is that -- is young people and then there's another peak of older people.

The -- search is targeting.

The areas molecules that cause inflammation.

And we're constantly looking at ways of making selective therapies safer so that we can identify the molecules that are causing the disease so we know.

That anti TNF molecular biologic therapies.

Or not for everyone.

But if you can figure out which patients will benefit you can actually make a dramatic decrease in the inflammation.

So the research is going forward on many different levels.

There -- many centers including our own -- New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell and Columbia.

My dad are looking at the molecules the bacteria and the jeans so we -- -- getting closer all the time to say with in the decade.

I'm I think that's optimistic and I'm hoping that it really is within not outside of the next ten years that we come without a new approaches.

Well I like your optimism.

I really do and I know the Rondell does as well.

So -- -- the crohn's and colitis foundation of America I'll just tell people and they can find you online and see CFA dot word.

This is an organization to help.

Both patients and family members to give people information because I mean I remember when I was first diagnosis of what is Crohn's Disease and -- most people just.

Really don't know exactly what it's all about but I imagine that this senate resolution which is so important will really help to boost awareness which is such a key here is an.

Absolutely that's that's what we're hoping this is such a huge staff and that building awareness and letting people know about these diseases.

And fortunately there are often very silent diseases and not wonderful things for patients to talk about and and -- open about in public so.

Lot of times people really -- silence and therefore -- where it doesn't get out and people aren't really educated about life in planetary about disease is.

So having the senate resolution is a wonderful way to get the word out let people know how devastating diseases can be and how many people are fact it.

Tell me about the the services that CC FA offers.

Four people who might wanna learn more about this or who might know someone who is affected by.

By -- were all sort of -- Absolutely one of the best things and we can do for awareness week is go to that Debbie Debbie Debbie -- TC FA dot org website there's so much wonderful information there.

So if you do you know someone who's affected please send them onto the web site.

And and there's many many other things that we can do it says build -- that are actually listed on -- website you can like us on FaceBook and Twitter.

We also have a brand new -- of this year congressional caucus for crimes -- callais yes that was started by the end of crunch and Jesse Jackson.

And we're trying to encourage more of representatives to join that -- -- So there's a very easy land -- -- if you -- an advocate ceiling to send a letter -- legislator and encourage them to join nine.

Final question for you a doctor when asked because a lot of people in our chat had been.

Mentioning -- -- Or irritable bowel syndrome there are all types of -- GI.

Issues problems that people might have that are not inflammatory bowel disease how do you get a diagnosis.

If you're experiencing some of these symptoms and you -- -- find out exactly what you.

So I think one of the major things about this bill is that it's going to draw our attention to the fact that these diseases are under diagnosed or misdiagnosed.

So there's actually center for advanced I just -- care which is part of New York Presbyterian Hospital that will help patients to get these type of information.

I think also.

You know Jennifer -- organization the advocacy for patients with chronic illness sick helps to focus patients to address not only that diagnostic aspect.

But he had in the maintenance problems and this is a lifelong disease controlling inflammation in every practice crohn's and colitis and -- critical so while we're trying to cure the disease rules are trying to.

Control the symptoms as well as the disease itself -- many support programs as well as muscular skeletal health nutritional health.

And all that ultimately lead to the correct diagnosis.

Well thank you both for the work that you do and for coming on talking to us about this.

Senate resolution 199 -- you gonna get this frame you should put it up in the office absolutely blown up and -- very exciting.

Once again doctor Ellen -- and Rondell -- C.

CC FA dot ORG --

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