John Sergent, MD: Autoimmune Disease is More Common Than You Think

There are certain struggles that come with an autoimmune disease diagnosis. Whether it's a rare disease like myositis or something more common like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient education is crucial, according to seasoned rheumatologist John Sergent.

In an interview with HCPLive®, John Sergent, MD, MACP, MACR, is a professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology & Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) where he's been a member of faculty for 47 years.

He believes that if people–physicians and patients, alike–are educated on these diseases and realize that research is allowing more understanding of what triggers an autoimmune disease, it will help with treating patients.

"One big problem I have is people who, because of the fatigue and pain, sometimes can't work a full day," Sergent said. "They can work maybe 6 hours instead of 8. And a lot of times, it's very difficult to get companies to understand that. It's just very, very frustrating for them, and for me."