(NAPSI)—About 500,000 Americans live with Crohns disease, a chronic, debilitating disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract.

As bad as this inflammatory bowel disease is, the isolation it sometimes causes may seem even worse. People find it hard to talk about their experiences because the symptoms, which include diarrhea and abdominal cramping, are not only taboo conversation topics but largely invisible to others, making it harder for outsiders to understand. As a result, people with Crohns often find themselves battling the disease alone.

Not anymore, however, thanks to a quarterly magazine that chronicles the journeys of people on the front lines of Crohns disease: those living with Crohns, their healthcare providers, family and friends. CrohnsAdvocate offers a forum where people can connect, share, learn and feel empowered in their fight.

CrohnsAdvocate is a free publication that is a unique and valuable resource for the Crohns community. The magazine is distributed to more than 11,000 subscribers and to gastroenterology offices nationwide. A digital version can be found at www.CrohnsAndMe.com, a site sponsored by biopharmaceutical company UCB, Inc.

The publication helps end the isolation that can have both a psychological and physical impact on people living with Crohns. Hundreds of studies have established that social support is a key component of good health and this is nowhere more evident than in the case of Crohns. Knowing that there are others in the same boat can be as valuable as information about the latest research breakthrough.

Each issue of CrohnsAdvocate has a column by a physician answering general questions about the disease, stories on breakthrough science weaving in commentary from leading Crohns experts, stories on interesting people with Crohns such as a football star, an actor, an artist and an entrepreneur, and even a column by a stand-up comic who has learned to find humor in his disease. Additionally, the magazine includes feedback, insights and stories from readers within the Crohns community.

If you or someone you know has Crohns disease, visit www.CrohnsAndMe.com to subscribe to the free magazine-because no one should suffer alone.

 

CrohnsAdvocate and CrohnsAdvocate: Connect. Educate. Empower. are trademarks of the UCB Group of Companies. 2012 UCB, Inc. All rights reserved. CCD323-0112