The Vasculitis Foundation (VF) is the international patient advocacy organization for patients with vasculitis, their families, the health care professionals who treat them and the researchers who perform critical research to determine the cause, develop more effective treatments and discover the cure.

Vasculitis is a family of rare, autoimmune diseases, which affect people of all ages. 

Vasculitis causes inflammation of the blood vessels, arteries, veins or capillaries. There is no known cause or cure for the disease. If not treated, vasculitis can cause permanent organ damage and often death.

Receiving an early diagnosis and effective treatment is critical to patients regaining their health and avoiding serious chronic health problems. While a few of the vasculitic diseases resolve on their own, most require extensive treatment. The length of treatment varies by patient; some patients achieve remission within a year and transition to maintenance drugs while other patients use medications for years. Unfortunately, almost all vasculitis patients experience ongoing disease flares and are unable to maintain a successful remission for more than a year or two.

The VF advocates for early diagnosis, leading edge treatment and research to discover a cure for all types of vasculitis. 

The VF provides educational materials for patients, their caregivers, family members and medical professionals. The VF has an extensive website, VF Medical Consultants, educational conferences, bimonthly newsletters and monthly e-newsletters.   

In addition, the VF provides one-on-one support for patients and their families through a network of volunteer area contacts and local chapters and support groups. 

The VF Research Program has funded over $1.5 million in research worldwide on vasculitis. 

The VF Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for one- or two- year tracks designed to support the training of physician scientists who wish to gain clinical expertise in vasculitis and who may also wish to pursue an investigational career in this field.

The VF is committed to improving the lives of patients around the world.