Dr. Fred Miller: The Autoimmune Disease Epidemic

Dr. Fred Miller: The Autoimmune Disease Epidemic

From Critically Speaking by Therese Markow

March 17, 2026 · 36 min · Season 1 · Episode 230

About this episode

Therese Markow and Dr. Fred Miller discuss the autoimmune disease epidemic, its economic burden, and the factors contributing to its rise.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Fred Miller discuss the autoimmune disease epidemic, highlighting the economic burden and the rise of diseases like juvenile diabetes, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Miller explains that autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks the body, affecting various organs. He notes that there are at least 150 types of autoimmune diseases, with prevalence rates varying from 0.1% to 5% of the population - the exact number is unknown due to the need for better registries to track these diseases. Dr. Miller also discusses the role of genetics and environmental factors, lifestyle, and exposure to chemicals. He also mentions new treatments and the importance of lifestyle changes in prevention and management. Key Takeaways: Virtually any organ system or tissue in the body can be damaged by the immune system, which makes autoimmune diseases difficult to assess, diagnose, and treat, as they can be so varied from person to person, and they can change over time. There are no fully agreed-upon definitions for autoimmune diseases. As such, we don't know how many there are, but most experts would say at least 150 different types. All of the…

People in this episode

Hosts: Therese Markow, Therese

Guest: Dr Fred Miller

Topics covered

  • autoimmune diseases
  • health
  • genetics
  • environmental factors
  • lifestyle changes

Keywords

  • juvenile diabetes
  • lupus
  • multiple sclerosis
  • immune system
  • prevention
  • management

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