 The Arthritis Foundation has contributed to arthritis research since its founding in 1948, and has invested over $470 million toward medical research into the disease In addition, the organization advocates for changes to health care policies, legislation and government-funded research to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by arthritis.The Foundation funds two patient registries, the Arthritis Internet Registry (AIR) and the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), to help control symptoms and accelerate the search for a cure by analyzing and correlating biological data.The Arthritis Foundation holds the annual Advocacy Summit, in which arthritis advocates converge in Washington, D.C., to meet with Capitol Hill lawmakers.