Need advocacy for psoriasis research

As an advocate for the National Psoriasis Foundation, I am concerned that there is not adequate federal government funding for psoriasis research and that more needs to be done toward finding a cure and improving access to treatments for patients.

I recently took time to visit the office of U.S. Rep. Bill Foster in Washington, D.C., and was so pleased to learn that he has terrific staff who are responsive to constituent concerns. In the meeting, I requested Foster's cosponsorship of H.R. 930, the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act. As many as 323,000 individuals living in Illinois have psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis, chronic inflammatory, painful, disfiguring and disabling diseases for which there is no cure. Psoriasis is not just a "skin rash," but a serious, genetic autoimmune disease. Between 10 and 30 percent of individuals with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints.

I am hopeful that Rep. Foster will lend his support to this measure and that he will use his position in Congress to make certain that we are taking all the steps necessary to be sure that Congress will take action to ensure that individuals living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have access to the care they need and the hope that a cure for these life-changing diseases will be found.

Larry Bahr

Elgin