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  • What We're Working On
PRECISION: Preventing Complications from Inflammatory Skin, Joint and Bowel Conditions
Everyday-Living-10.0-1
Scientific Study Title:
Start Date:
  • 2014
End Date:
  • 2022
Research Category
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Why do this research?

People with inflammatory diseases of the skin, joint, or bowel have better treatment options for managing their disease than ever before. They are now more likely to die from complications of the disease than the disease itself. With more knowledge on what causes complications and how to reduce them, we believe prevention is possible. The inflammatory diseases we are studying affect over 7 million Canadians. They include psoriasis (a skin disease); rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and lupus like diseases, ankylosing spondylitis, gout and osteoarthritis (joint diseases); and, Crohn`s disease and ulcerative colitis (bowel diseases). Complications appear to be similar across these diseases. They include heart attacks, strokes, blood clots in the legs and lungs, severe infections, hip fractures, selected cancers, diabetes, and chronic lung disease. By developing ways to prevent complications, this research could support more than 7 million Canadians to live better, longer lives, and has potential to save money being spent on treating complications.

What will be done?

A 5-year, $2.5 million project called ‘PRECISION’ is underway that will study over 1 million Canadians with inflammatory diseases of the skin, joint or bowel. Our overall goals are to:

  • 1. Find out how common complications of inflammatory disease are and their impact on individuals, including the financial costs.
  • 2. Find out whether inflammation causes complications and whether there are other factors that can either increase the risk of complications or eliminate them.
  • 3. Develop ways to reduce or eliminate the frequency and consequences of the complications in a way that is respectful and responsive to patients’ preferences, needs and values.

PRECISION is divided into 6 sub-projects dedicated to achieving our overall goals. Click below for more information about each sub-project:

The Research Team

Principal Investigator

  • John Esdaile, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FCAHS, MACR, Scientific Director Emeritus, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)

How Can People Get Involved?

The PRECISION team consists of over 30 scientists and patients who have been working for a decade on identifying the complications from inflammatory diseases of the skin, joint, or bowel. This multidisciplinary group of researchers include: rheumatologists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, health economists, ethicists and knowledge translation and digital media experts. The five patients representing the various inflammatory diseases have been involved in every step of the study process since the planning stage. Please visit the PRECISION webpage (https://arthritisresearch.ca/precision)for more information.

Media and Infographics

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