Dear awesome CureTogether friends,

We hope you are in good health, or finding good support along your health journey. We are writing with some wonderful news today!

CureTogether has been acquired by 23andMe, a personal genetic testing company that we greatly admire. Their focus on research into human disease is very aligned with our vision for enabling people to share their health information and collectively produce new knowledge.

This will be the first time ever that two extensive community-based research platforms, one primarily genetic and one phenotypic (symptom- and treatment-based) will be joined! We are very excited about the power of bringing our respective members together to make potentially major advances in solving many of the health conditions that affect so many of you, and us as well.

Please feel free to let us know your thoughts and questions about this, and rest assured that you will have freedom to decide how your data becomes part of this research. CureTogether will continue to be here to support you through your health journey.

To read more about the acquisition, see the coverage on TechCrunch or Health 2.0 News.
 
We look forward to continuing to serve you in this new joint project.
Hugs!
Alexandra and Daniel
CureTogether co-founders

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

We’re excited to announce the very first results of our ongoing study of Bipolar Disorder. At CureTogether, 227 people with Bipolar came together to rate 31 treatments. When we gather 1,000 treatment ratings for a condition, we publish an infographic, and Bipolar has just crossed that threshold.

The results seem to say it’s best managed without drugs, except Lamictal seems to work quite well.

Patients rate regimented sleep, reduced alcohol, and exercise as helpful for their symptoms, as well as yoga, mindfulness meditation, and Lamictal (see the top of the green part of the chart). They Prozac, Geodon, and Cymbalta as making their symptoms worse. (see the bottom of the red part of the chart above.)

The top 10 overall treatments reported for Bipolar are, as a list:

1. Regimented sleep schedule
2. Exercise
3. Reduce alcohol
4. Yoga
5. Mindfulness meditation
6. Lamictal
7. Sunlight
8. Psychotherapy
9. Self-tracking
10. Small, frequent meals

––

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective

––

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Bipolar Disorder. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Bipolar. Thank you!

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

We’re excited to announce the very first results of our ongoing study of Arthritis. At CureTogether, 798 people with Crohn’s came together to rate 30 treatments. When we gather 1,000 treatment ratings for a condition, we publish an infographic, and Arthritis has just crossed that threshold.

Patients rate heat, rest, and massage as helpful for their symptoms, as well as joint replacement and LDN (see the top of the green part of the chart). They rate Glucosamine, Acetaminophen, and Capsaicin cream as not helping as much. (see the bottom of the green part of the chart above.)

The top 10 overall treatments reported for Arthritis are, as a list:

1. Joint replacement
2. Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
3. Brace
4. Corticosteroids
5. Massage
6. Heat
7. Methotrexate
8. Vicodin
9. Chiropractic adjustment
10. Rest

––

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments (including heat and rest)

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about (including LDN and a brace)

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective (including Glucosamine and Acetaminophen)

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective (including Capsaicin cream and Tramadol)

––

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Arthritis. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Arthritis. Thank you!

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

We’re excited to announce the very first results of our ongoing study of Vulvar Vestibulitis (pain and burning in a particular area of the vulva, which I lived with for a decade). At CureTogether, 480 women who experience Vulvar Vestibulitis came together to rate 30 treatments.

By far the most effective treatment as rated by patients is physical therapy (see the top of the green part of the chart). Some other treatments, such as Witch Hazel pads and corticosteroid cream, are rated to actually make the condition worse. (see the red part of the chart above.)

The top 10 overall treatments reported for Vulvar Vestibulitis are, as a list:

1. Pelvic physical therapy
2. Reverse kegels
3. Chlorine-free sanitary pads
4. Baking soda bath
5. No underwear
6. Yeast/Candida detox diet
7. Rinse with water after urination
8. Sitz bath
9. Stop oral contraceptives
10. Yoga

––

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments (including Physical therapy and not wearing underwear)

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about (including reverse kegels and chlorine-free sanitary pads)

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective (including cranberry juice and Elavil)

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective (including witch hazel pads and corticosteroid cream)

––

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Vulvar Vestibulitis. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Vulvar Vestibulitis. Thank you!

Naltrexone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, is being used off-label to treat pain in Fibromyalgia and other chronic conditions. There are few studies on this, because naltrexone is a generic drug, so no pharma company can make money from it.

A small Stanford study on Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) found that 6 out of 10 fibromyalgia patients experienced significant reduction in their symptoms on LDN compared to placebo.

This finding is confirmed at CureTogether, where 26 out of 44 fibromyalgia patients report a major improvement in their symptoms after taking LDN. In fact, LDN is ranked as the #1 most effective treatment for fibromyalgia at CureTogether (see the screenshot below.)

Larger studies still need to be done, but it is remarkable that the CureTogether ratio of improvement on LDN is 59% (26/44), and the Stanford ratio of improvement on LDN is 60% (6/10). The same result!

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

We’re excited to announce the very first results of our ongoing study of Acid Reflux. At CureTogether, 2,826 people who experience Acid Reflux came together to rate 39 treatments.

In contrast to many of our other studies, patients rate acid reflux drugs as helpful for their symptoms, as well as eating habit changes (see the top of the green part of the chart). They rate other experiments, like a high fiber diet, peppermint oil, and apple cider vinegar, as less helpful. (see the botom of the green part of the chart above.)

The top 20 overall treatments reported for Acid Reflux are, as a list:

1. Prilosec
2. AcipHex
3. Endoscopic dilatation
4. Protonix
5. Kapidex
6. Nexium
7. Avoid overeating
8. Avoid high fat consumption before bed
9. Eat evening meal at least 3 hours before bed
10. Gaviscon
11. Famtodine
12. Prevacid
13. Avoid food allergens
14. Eliminate tea and acidic drinks
15. Gluten-free diet
16. Zantac
17. Alkaline diet
18. Eliminate refined carbohydrates
19. Elevate head of bed
20. Raw foods diet

––

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments (including Prilosec and eating 3 hours before bedtime)

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about (including AcipHex and a raw foods diet)

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective (including eating more fiber and less meat)

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective (including apple cider vinegar and peppermint oil)

––

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Acid Reflux. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Acid Reflux. Thank you!

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

We’re excited to announce the very first results of our ongoing study of Crohn’s Disease. At CureTogether, 178 people with Crohn’s came together to rate 29 treatments. When we gather 1,000 treatment ratings for a condition, we publish an infographic, and Crohn’s has just crossed that threshold.

Patients rate small, low fiber, gluten-free meals as helpful for their symptoms, as well as stress reduction, steroids, and LDN (see the top of the green part of the chart). They rate a high fiber diet, aloe vera, and Pentassa as making their symptoms worse. (see the red part of the chart above.)

The top 10 overall treatments reported for Crohn’s Disease are, as a list:

1. Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
2. Surgery
3. Steroids
4. Humira
5. Cannabis
6. Specific Carbohydrate Diet
7. Remicade
8. Stress reduction
9. Small meals
10. Gluten-free/low fiber diets

––

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments (including stress reduction, small meals, and probiotics)

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about (including Humira and a Specific Carbohydrate Diet)

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective (including Pentassa and Asacol)

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective (including Imuran and chiropractic)

––

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Crohn’s Disease. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Crohn’s Disease. Thank you!

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

Migraine: a beast I’ve been through myself. At CureTogether, 3,455 people who experience the pain of migraine came together to rate 180 treatments. Here are the current results of this ongoing study.

Our migraine survey has by far the most treatments reported by patients – even the dense scattering of points on the chart shows how many treatments people with migraine go through to find something that works. A few of our members have tried over 100 different treatments, which suggests that migraine pain is not well handled with the current state of medical knowledge.

Patients rate avoidance of triggers like smoke, MSG, red wine, and light as most effective at dealing with migraines (see the top of the green part of the chart), and alcohol and birth control pills as making their migraines worse. (see the red part of the chart above.)

The top 20 overall treatments reported for migraine are, as a list:

1. Dark room and NO NOISE!
2. Avoid red wine
3. Avoid MSG
4. Avoid smoky situations
5. Sleep
6. Sleep with ice packs wrapped in a dry dish towel
7. Passage of time
8. Wearing sunglasses with the smallest amount of sunshine
9. Wrap ice bandage around head
10. Wrap cold towel around head and put pressure on side of neck and head that hurts most
11. Cooling headbands
12. Ice
13. Imitrex (Sumatriptan)
14. Avoid aspartame/phenylalanine
15. Wear a sleep mask
16. Intravenous DHE
17. Treximet (Sumatriptan and Naproxen)
18. Avoid Spenda/sucralose
19. Imitrex (Sumtriptan) injection
20. Oxygen

–

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments (including avoiding smoke, Imitrex, and sleep)

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about (including cold towel around head)

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective (including birth control pills)

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective (including alcohol)

–

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Migraine. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Migraine. Thank you!

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

Over a year ago, we published one of our first infographics – 9 most effective anxiety treatments. I went ahead and repeated the analysis today, and now we have 25 treatments that people rate as most effective for anxiety.

This chart is based on 6,118 people with anxiety who participated in CureTogether surveys, compared to 1,303 people last year. Anxiety is still our most populated condition community.

Here are the top 25 treatments for anxiety you may not have tried that thousands of others say worked well for them:

1. Exercise
2. Xanax
3. Yoga
4. Spending time with animals
5. Meditation
6. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
7. Inspiring music
8. Ativan
9. Clonazepam
10. Massage therapy
11. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
12. Deep breathing
13. Diazepam
14. Exposure therapy
15. Relaxation
16. Psychotherapy
17. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
18. Interpersonal therapy
19. Osteopathy
20. Zoloft
21. Lamictal
22. Bio-identical hormones
23. Avoid caffeine
24. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
25. Prayer

To navigate the graph above:

The top right quadrant shows the most popular and effective treatments (e.g. Exercise), and the top left quadrant shows treatments that not many people have tried but that have above-average effectiveness, so they may be options to think about (e.g. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).

Treatments in the lower right quadrant are ones that lots of people have tried but that have below-average effectiveness (e.g. Wellbutrin), and treatments in the lower left quadrant are reported as neither popular nor effective, so you may want to consider this when choosing a treatment (e.g. Paxil).

Where did this data come from? CureTogether members have been anonymously sharing symptoms and treatments for almost 3 years now. We analyzed and visualized the data into infographic form to make it more accessible. To thank everyone for their contributions, we’re releasing this result back to the community for free.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. We present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research. Stay tuned for more and please let us know in the comments below if this was helpful or interesting for you.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in Anxiety. Thank you!

For the live-updated, interactive version of this infographic, click here.

Neck pain affects 15% of Americans, according to a report by the American Pain Foundation. Interestingly, the same report mentions that less than 2% of the NIH research budget is dedicated to pain.

At CureTogether, 2,180 people with neck pain came together to do their own research on the comparative effectiveness of 27 different treatments. Here are the current results of this ongoing study.

Patients rate Myofascial release, Yoga, and Massage as the most effective treatments for their neck pain (see the top points on the chart above.)

The treatments that help the least, at the bottom of the chart, are: Soft collar, Tempurpedic pillow, and Corticosteroid injections.

As in many of our other studies, it is non-drug treatments that are rated most highly among patients.

–

The rest of the results are in the graph above, which is divided into four squares…

- Top right: the most popular and effective treatments (including massage and chiropractic)

- Top left: effective treatments that not many people have tried, so they may be options to think about (including myofascial release and yoga)

- Lower right: very popular but not very effective (including exercise and acetaminophen)

- Lower left: neither popular nor effective (including soft collar and corticosteroid injections)

–

Where did this data come from? This is the result of a 3-year CureTogether study on Neck Pain. To thank everyone for participating, we’re publishing this study openly and freely.

This is part of our regular series of research findings. Of course, with each of these findings, there is a potential bias in patient self-selection and recall. Every research study has some bias, so we present these findings as just what they are – patient-reported data – to stimulate discussion and generate new insights for further research.

Please tweet, blog, or pass this along to anyone who can benefit or is interested in neck pain. Thank you!