COPD-INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER
http://www.COPD-International.com

Dedicated to the philosophy
"You can learn to control this disease instead of letting it control you!"

Monday, August 25, 2003                         Volume #2 -- Issue #34
Susie Bowers, Editor  --  Web-Editor@COPD-International.com
Copyright © 2003   COPD-International.com       All rights reserved.

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the end of this newsletter. THIS IS AN AUTOMATED MESSAGE
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY. This newsletter is published on Mondays.
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       > > > > > > > > > >      IN THIS ISSUE      < < < < < < < < < <
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==> Welcome
==> COPD News
==> Recalls/Warnings
==> Featured Articles - Medicare Rules on LVRS
==> Nutrition/Wellness
==> Community Update
==> Link Directory
==> Just for Fun
==> Recipe
==> Closing Thought
==> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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            > > > > > > > > > >    WELCOME    < < < < < < < < < <
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ABOUT US
We are a group of fellow COPD sufferers, caregivers and others
interested in this disease. Our online community is devoted to helping
one another to live the best life possible with this debilitating
illness through interactive support.

As many of us have found, COPD is a disease of many faces,
contradictions and components. Therefore, our diversified community
is here to share its combined wealth of knowledge and information, so
we may all become well-informed patients and take control of our
disease rather than letting this disease control us.

EDITORIAL COMMENTS
Last May, the results of a landmark cooperative U.S. study to define
the role of lung surgery in the treatment of severe emphysema were
released.

The study, National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT), was a
five-year, multicenter, randomized study to evaluate the effectiveness
and safety of adding lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) to medical
therapy with pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with advanced
emphysema.

Based on the results of the NETT study, the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) determined last week that LVRS is
reasonable and necessary with some stipulations and guidelines.

Under Featured Articles is information on Medicare's ruling to cover
LVRS, as well as detailed information on the NETT study.

We welcome your input and participation in our newsletters and will
review for publication any pertinent information you wish to share
with others on COPD and related topics. If you wish to contribute to
the newsletter, please contact us at Newsletter@COPD-International.com

Yours in health ...

Susie
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        > > > > > > > > > >     COPD NEWS      < < < < < < < < < <
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CANADIAN GUIDELINES FOR EXACERBATIONS UPDATED
Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) account for over 1.5
million physician visits annually in Canada and are a cause of
significant morbidity and mortality. Canadian guidelines for the
management of chronic bronchitis were published in 1994. The present
document is an update of the original guidelines, and is a joint
effort by the Canadian Thoracic Society and the Canadian Infectious
Disease Society. See Guidelines:
http://www.pulsus.com/Respir/10_05/balt_ed.htm

SARS LINK DISCOUNTED IN 2ND VANCOUVER CASE
Patients at a second nursing home in the Vancouver area do not
appear to have a SARS-like illness that affected another nearby
nursing home, a Canadian health official said. See News Story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/22/health/22SARS.html

Editor's Note: The article above is available free of charge for
online subscribers. To access the article you need only fill out
a short user form.

HEALTH OFFICIALS TRY TO CONTAIN SPREAD OF TB
The Washington Post reported on the drastic increase in the number
of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Maryland last year - from 262 cases in
2001 to 306 last year - and now this year, 140 cases have been
recorded through July.

According to the article, health officials believe that the increase
was due to the influx of immigrants from Africa, Asia and Latin
America, and other countries that don't have adequate access to TB
treatment options. The article reports on efforts in Washington, D.C.,
and the 48 states to provide TB patients with free antibiotic drugs,
which are largely administered through public health clinics. It also
reports that in Maryland, nurses are sent to observe patients each
time they take their medicine, which has helped to increase compliance
and cure rates.

The article quotes the American Lung Association (ALA) of the District
of Columbia as saying, "As the world becomes more and more a
borderless state, we have to remain vigilant. One of the things we
hope to do is to reach out to foreign countries to impact them and
address the issue there."

(ALA Newsletter)

CAT, PET SCANS OFFER EARLY CANCER DETECTION
The combined use of spiral computed tomography (CT) and positron
emission tomography (PET) scanning can reliably detect early lung
cancer, suggests research from Italy. See Story:
http://www.health-news.co.uk/showstory.asp?id=117387

ANXIETY MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK
Information gathered in Norway suggests that people who suffer from
anxiety may be at a higher risk of developing cancer. Scientists from
the University of Bergen have found that those scoring highly on an
anxiety assessment are 25 percent more likely to have abnormal cells.
Research in Brazil has indicated that depression may reduce the immune
system's ability to fight infections or diseases, a factor that could
affect the development of some cancers. (BBC News Online)

HEATWAVE INCREASES AIR POLLUTION RISK
As temperatures soar to the hottest of the year and air pollution
levels rise, the National Asthma Campaign advises people with asthma
to take precautions. See Tips: http://www.asthma.org.uk/news/news86.php

ASTHMA QUIZ
How in control are you? How does your asthma affect you? Take this
simple test from the National Asthma Campaign to find out whether you
could be achieving more in terms of asthma control. See Quiz:
http://www.asthma.org.uk/about/quiz.php

RESEARCHERS: DRUGS MAY MAKE ASTHMA WORSE
Scientists believe they have discovered why common asthma treatments
such as albuterol, ventolin and salbutamol can stop being effective.
Using too much medication may actually make asthma worse, researchers
say. See Story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3154007.stm

STAIR-CLIMBING WHEELCHAIR GETS MIXED REVIEWS
The Independence iBOT 3000 Mobility System, which won approval
from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently, has gotten
mixed reviewers from users. See Story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/19/science/19CHAI.html

Editor's Note: The article above is available free of charge for
online subscribers. To access the article you need only fill out
a short user form.

DRUG SALVAGE PLAN
The Tulsa County Medical Society in the U.S. state of Oklahoma has
begun a scheme to salvage some of the estimated $10 million-worth of
medicines discarded there every year. The scheme works through contact
between nursing homes and a team of retired doctors who collect drugs
that are no longer needed. The drugs are taken to the county pharmacy,
which redistributes them free to the less well off in the community.
The organization faced official resistance to the idea, but now the
state's laws have been changed to allow them to collect and
redistribute the medication.
(HealthScout)

HEALTH COSTS COMPARED
A comparison of healthcare costs has found that 31 cents of every
dollar spent on healthcare in the United States pays administrative
costs, nearly double the rate in Canada.

Researchers who prepared the comparison said that the United States
wasted more money on health bureaucracy than it would cost to provide
healthcare to the tens of millions of the uninsured. Americans spend
$752 more per person per year than Canadians in administrative costs,
investigators from Harvard and the Canadian Institute for Health
Information found. (Reuters)

Make browsing in our Library and catching up on general medical
news in our Reading Room part of your daily surfing routine at
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/
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 > > > > > > > > > >     RECALLS / WARNINGS     < < < < < < < < < <
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To view earlier drug recalls, please go to our Library section
at http://www.copd-international.com/Library/Recalls.htm
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  > > > > > > > > > >     FEATURED ARTICLES     < < < < < < < < < <
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MEDICARE TO PAY FOR LVRS
According to the August 21, 2003 New York Times, last week the
government decided that Medicare will begin paying for a major lung
operation for certain elderly people who have severe emphysema. The
article reports that the operation in question, LVRS, involves cutting
away diseased parts of the lungs, so that the remaining healthy tissue
works better.

According to the article, the operation costs about $60,000. Medicare
will cover the operation for patients who meet specific criteria, and
will require that they be given an extensive exercise and education
program before and after surgery to improve lung function.

According to the article, the operation will be covered only at
certain hospitals accredited by CMS.

-- See CMS Press Release
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/LVRS-Medicare.htm

-- See CMS Memo
http://www.cms.gov/ncdr/memo.asp?id=96

All ABOUT THE NETT STUDY
The link below leads to complete information on all aspects of the
NETT study on which Medicare based its recent ruling on coverage.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/nett/lvrsweb.htm
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 > > > > > > > > > >     NUTRITION/WELLNESS     < < < < < < < < < <
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ICE OR HEAT? THAT IS THE QUESTION
Some injuries need ice, others need heat. Which is appropriate for
your condition? Learn about ice and heat treatments and which you
should use. See Tips:
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicine/a/iceorheat.htm

TOP TEN REASONS TO STRETCH
Since flexibility is one of the five components of fitness, stretching
should be an integral part of every workout program. As we age our
bodies naturally become less flexible and more prone to injury. With
flexibility training, however, we can keep our bodies more limber and
youthful. This link leads to the top 10 stretching tips from the
American Council on Exercise.
http://walking.about.com/cs/stretching/a/acestretch.htm

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> > > > > > > > > > >     COMMUNITY UPDATE     < < < < < < < < < < <
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WELCOME NEW SUBSCRIBERS!
We welcome all our new subscribers and invite you to join our
e-mail lists and check out our chat rooms, where you can talk freely
about COPD in an atmosphere of fellowship. The link to the chat
schedules can be found on our Home Page or just drop in anytime
you have a need to talk.

LOVING THOUGHTS
To express your loving thoughts, get-well wishes and prayers for
our fellow community members, who are very ill or hospitalized,
please go to http://www.copd-international.com/Loving_Thoughts/

-- John Peterson of Cape Cod recently underwent lung transplant
surgery. His wife reports he is doing very well.

-- Bill Lyons, who was released from the hospital last week, is back
in the hospital.

-- Lance Woodard is having a rough time and is in the hospital.
A journal of Lance's transplant journey is in our Library.
Entitled "On the Road Again," you can find it at
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/experiences.htm

DAILY CHATS
Scheduled chats with hosts are held daily. We invite everyone to stop
in and visit. See Chat Schedule:
http://www.copd-international.com/Chat-schedule.htm

Also, the special weekly on-topic chats are listed below.

On-Topic Chats (All Eastern Time)

-- Lung Transplants: Wednesdays at 7 p.m. - Host Tony Hamel
   http://www.copd-international.com/COPD/chat.htm

-- Exercise Chat: Mondays at 2 p.m. (EDT) - Host Tonie
   http://www.copd-international.com/exercise/chat.htm

-- Caregivers: Sundays at 4 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
   Host Kitty (Note: Only caregivers in these chats please.)
   http://www.copd-international.com/caregivers/chat.htm

-- Quit Smoking Now (QSN): Mondays at 9 p.m.
   Host Don from NM - Don is a smoking cessation counselor.
   http://www.copd-international.com/quit_smoking/chat.htm

For more information on our chat rooms, please contact Deb, chat
coordinator, at Chat@COPD-International.com

We look forward to seeing you!
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> > > > > > > > > > > >     LINK DIRECTORY     < < < < < < < < < < < <
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SPECIAL-INTEREST PROGRAMS

-- Quit Smoking Support:
   http://www.COPD-International.com/quit_smoking/

-- Exercise Forum:
   http://www.COPD-International.com/exercise/

-- Caregivers Support:
   http://www.copd-international.com/caregivers/

-- COPD Library:
   http://www.COPD-International.com/Library/

-- Welcome Wagon:
   http://www.COPD-International.com/welcome/

-- To Volunteer:
   http://www.copd-international.com/volunteer.htm

Don't forget to checkout all our support programs listed on our Home
Page at www.COPD-International.com
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       > > > > > > > > > >     JUST FOR FUN     < < < < < < < < < <
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A distraught patient phoned her doctor's office. Was it true, the
woman wanted to know, that the medication the doctor had prescribed
was for the rest of her life? She was told that it was.

There was a moment of silence before the woman continued, "I'm
wondering, then, just how serious my condition is. This prescription
is marked 'NO REFILLS.'"
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          > > > > > > > > > > >      RECIPE     < < < < < < < < < < <
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BRUSCHETTA

Use small slices of bread for a unique appetizer or serve with Italian dishes.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Ready in: 15 Minutes

Ingredients
     1-1/3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
     1/3 sweet onion, chopped
     1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon olive oil
     2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
     3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
     1-1/4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
     1/3 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 inch slices
     2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
     1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

     2. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, olive oil, oregano,
        basil and parsley. Place bread on a baking sheet, and top with tomato
        mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

     3. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottom of
        bread is browned. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4

(Allrecipes)
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      > > > > > > > > > >     CLOSING THOUGHT     < < < < < < < < <
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              While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy
                    is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit,
                             our creativity or our glorious uniqueness.

                                         -- Gilda Radner --
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 > > > > > > > > > >     SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE     < < < < < < < < < <
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Thank You For Your Readership
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Notes
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All Disclaimers Apply: The information and guidance provided in this
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All information provided should be judged as individual "opinions"
and discussed with a qualified health-care professional before any
remedy, treatment or therapy is started.