Second Annual "Seek Answers. Inspire Results." Campaign Offers Patients Tools to Proactively Manage Complex Disease

GLENVIEW, Ill., April 5, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To coincide with National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month in April, the CHEST Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American College of Chest Physicians, and Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) launched today its second annual Seek Answers. Inspire Results. campaign. The national awareness campaign encourages people living with sarcoidosis to take a proactive role in their treatment plan.

"Although sarcoidosis was described more than 150 years ago, even the physician community finds the disease perplexing because it can present itself in different ways depending on the individual," said Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, MD, American College of Chest Physicians Trustee. "For many, the symptoms may be short-lived in some, but may cause life-threatening illness in others. Many patients need special personalized treatment to control symptoms. By generating an awareness campaign around sarcoidosis, we hope to provide patients with information and treatment options."

With good medical care, most cases of sarcoidosis are controlled and do not cause lasting damage to the body. However, it is important for people living with sarcoidosis to assess all of their options through an open dialogue with their physician.

To enable this discussion, Seek Answers. Inspire Results. offers people living with sarcoidosis and their caregivers a simple, usable toolkit (available at chestnet.org/sarcoid) to help them understand and manage their unique condition as well as resources to create awareness and spark conversations in the community. These tools include the "Sarcoid Five" – a list of five questions designed to start patient-doctor conversations to help people living with sarcoidosis understand treatment options and create a personalized plan to control their individual condition. The campaign also encourages people to update their social media profile photo for the month of April with the Seek Answers. Inspire Results. awareness badge that's available for download.

"We are proud to partner with the CHEST Foundation again this year as we aim to continue building awareness about this complex disease and provide key resources to the sarcoidosis community," said Ginger Spitzer, executive director of FSR. "Diagnosing sarcoidosis can be a long and frustrating process for patients and can also be quite difficult for people living with the disease. In fact, 25-30 percent of individuals have persistent, chronic symptoms requiring ongoing treatment. We want them to understand they are not alone as they navigate the condition with support and a tailored action plan."

About Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease wherein the immune system goes into overdrive, causing cells to group together into clumps called granulomas. When too many granulomas form on an organ, they may interfere with the organ's function. Sarcoidosis can affect any organ in the body; however, lungs and lymph nodes are involved in more than 90 percent of patients. Although anyone can develop sarcoidosis, it is most common among people between the ages of 20 and 40, and more severe and more likely to be chronic in African Americans.

About CHEST and the CHEST Foundation

CHEST is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. CHEST serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST, visit chestnet.org.

The CHEST Foundation supports patient and public education programs; grants, awards, and lectures for clinical and translational research; community service and humanitarian programs; and youth tobacco prevention programs. Since 1996, the foundation has provided more than $9 million for outstanding work in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For more information about the CHEST Foundation, visit chestnet.org/foundation.

About the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and to improving care for patients with the disease. Since its establishment in 2000, FSR has fostered over $3 million in sarcoidosis-specific research. The Foundation connects and provides resources for over 30,000 sarcoidosis patients, and directly funds research initiatives critical to breakthroughs. For more information about FSR, to volunteer, or make a donation, visit: stopsarcoidosis.org

Patient education resources for the Seek Answers. Inspire Results. campaign supported in part by grants from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer, Inc.