What Is the Most Common Autoimmune Disease?

I recently got a diabetes diagnosis, and it was a surprise to me that diabetes type I is classified as an autoimmune disorder. I know diabetes is an epidemic in the U.S., but how common is it? What is the most common autoimmune disease?

The National Institutes of Health estimates autoimmune diseases affect more than 23.5 million people in the U.S., but The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association believes as many as 50 million people may be affected by an autoimmune disorder. There are 80 to 100 different autoimmune diseases. Some autoimmune diseases are rare, while others are more common.

According to The Autoimmune Registry, the top 10 most common autoimmune diseases include:

1. Rheumatoid arthritis
2. Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis
3. Celiac disease
4. Graves’ disease
5. Diabetes mellitus, type 1
6. Vitiligo
7. Rheumatic fever
8. Pernicious anemia/atrophic gastritis
9. Alopecia areata
10. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura