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, May 10, 2004
Volume #3 -- Issue #19
Susie Bowers, Editor -- Web-Editor@COPD-International.com
Copyright © 2004 COPD-International.com All rights reserved.
FREE BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY! Subscription information is at
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 - Complementary/alternative Medicine
==> 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
What is complementary and alternative medicine? In this day and age,
it can mean several different, proven and unproven, treatments for
an array of health problems. Many of these alternative medical
treatments are based on ancient medicine, while others are based on
the science of today.
Because many alternative medical treatments remain controversial,
always check with your medical doctors before deciding to undergo
any type of complementary medical therapy.
The information in this issue is not meant to endorse any type of
unconventional medical treatments - only to provide knowledge on
these newly emerging health-care alternatives to enable us to become
wiser health-care consumers.
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. Also, periodically we will
feature stories and information from guest writers. If you wish to
contribute to the newsletter, please contact us at
Newsletter@COPD-International.com.
Yours in health ...
Susie
Editor's Note: There are several exceptionally long links in
this edition. Please cut and paste the entire address into
your browser if you have trouble opening the page.
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COPD NEWS < < < < < < < < <
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ALA: STATE OF THE AIR 2004 REPORT
Breathing dirty air? You can find out with the American Lung
Association (ALA) State of the Air 2004 report. Click on your state
in the map to check your air and learn how ozone and particle
pollution hurts your lungs - and what you can do to protect
yourself. See Report:
http://lungaction.org/reports/stateoftheair2004.html
REPORT PREDICTS ASTHMA EPIDEMIC FROM POLLUTION
Poor and minority children are likely to develop asthma at worsening
rates due to global warming and air pollution, environment experts
predicted. They released a report showing that as the climate gets
warmer, allergens such as pollen and mold will flood the air,
interacting with urban pollutants, such as ozone and soot to fuel an
already growing epidemic of asthma. "This is a real wake-up call for
people who think global warming is only going to be a problem way
off in the future or that it has no impact on their lives in a
meaningful way," said a senior research scientist at the Harvard
School of Public Health. See Story:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4990980§ion
=news
ICSS, LABAS RECOMMENDED IN COPD TREATMENT
The management of patients with symptomatic COPD has become more
clear in the past several years. New medications have been developed
and their efficacy has been evaluated using important outcomes in
addition to forced expiratory volume (FEV1), such as health-related
quality of life (HRQL), frequency of exacerbations and dyspnea
scores. This article reviews five well-designed, randomized,
controlled trials that have advanced knowledge about the use of
inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs)
and their combination in the treatment of COPD. See Article:
http://www.pulsus.com/Respir/11_03/road_ed.htm
SARS OVERVIEW: COMMON-SENSE TIPS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has sickened thousands
around the world. Although effective treatments aren't yet
available, you can exercise common-sense precautions. See More:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=9793738E-E555-4484-A89C517AC2D5
8EC9&si=2541
IMPROVING DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS
The doctor/patient relationship is critical to good health on many
levels. Obviously, anyone with health issues needs a good
physician. Beyond that basic fact, the doctor/patient relationship
should provide patients with reliable information, the comfort of
knowing we have good medical assistance, a knowledgeable ally with
whom to discuss problems presented by our health issues and a form
of validation. If you don't communicate well with your doctor,
finding another doctor could be the best solution, but we also need
to discuss situations where there's a doctor/patient relationship
that's worth working on and improving. See Tips:
http://headaches.about.com/cs/headacheclinics/a/doc_rel_save.htm
STUDIES FIND WAY TO TAILOR LUNG CANCER DRUG
Two studies have found ways to decide which patients can benefit
from the lung cancer drug Iressa, and may open a whole new way to
use targeted cancer therapies, researchers said. Both studies found
a mutation in a gene called EGFR that was present in patients who
responded to Iressa. In non-small cell lung cancer, EGFR is mutated
and the cells proliferate out of control to form a deadly tumor. The
studies found a particular mutation in all the tumors of patients
who were helped by Iressa and none of the patients who were not
helped. The researchers say their studies explain why and could help
doctors find which patients will benefit. See More:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4990414§ion
=news
"E-NOSE" EFFECTIVE IN DIAGNOSING PNEUMONIA
Researchers at Philadelphia's University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine have recently completed three studies that demonstrate the
effectiveness of an electronic nose device for diagnosing common
respiratory infections, specifically pneumonia and sinusitis.
Doctors hope that the device - called the Cyranose 320, or e-nose -
will provide a faster, more cost-effective and easier-to-use method
for accurately diagnosing pneumonia and, as a result, help reduce
over prescription of antibiotics. See Story:
http://www.advanceforrcp.com/common/Newslinks/dailyNewsWatch.aspx#15
DREAM ON: TREATING A SLEEPY SITUATION
Sleep apnea has a grave impact on a person's health and quality of
life. The good news is that the disorder is increasingly on
physicians and patients' radar screens. Nights riddled with sudden
starts and stops. Days marked by bouts of nods and yawns.
Inappropriate daytime dozing. Labels like sleepy and lazy. For many
people with sleep apnea, these characteristics are a part of daily
life, not "symptoms" or difficulties, until someone else pushes the
issue. Recognition of this potentially life-threatening condition
by family doctors has increased nearly twelvefold in the past
decade, says Dr. Robert Ballard, a pulmonologist and director of the
Sleep Center at National Jewish Medical and Research Center. See
Story:
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/03/hlsa0503.htm
MOST APNEA PATIENTS CAN GO HOME AFTER SURGERY
An overnight stay may not be necessary for most adults who have the
most common surgery for sleep apnea, new research suggests. In most
cases, people who have the operation to correct the sleep disorder
can go home after a few hours of observation in the hospital,
researchers report. Story:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=5004705§ion
=news
Editor's Note: Although surgery is an option for some patients
with sleep apnea, it does come with certain risks and
complications. There is a patient forum at www.sleep.net ,
where you can find comments from sleep apnea patients who have
undergone surgery.
TB VACCINE PROVIDES LONG-LASTING PROTECTION
A single dose of the BCG vaccine, which is used to prevent
tuberculosis, provides protection against the disease for 50 to 60
years, a U.S. study shows. BCG vaccination is no longer routine in
the U.S., but it is still used to inoculate some at-risk populations
and in some areas of the world where TB infection is common. Despite
being in use for more than 80 years, the long-term effectiveness of
the BCG vaccine has not been known, the lead author of the study
said. "These results should provide encouragement to investigators
aspiring to produce a vaccine with similar or improved
characteristics," researchers added. See Story:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=5051564§ion
=news
OBESITY AND ASTHMA LINKED
Evidence is mounting that America's rising rates of obesity and
asthma are not coincidental. They suggest a causal link. But does
the link, if valid, hold for both men and women? Research varies. A
1999 Harvard Medical School study found a definite obesity-asthma
link among nearly 86,000 subjects, but the subjects were all women.
The author insists his findings hold for men too. However, a 2001
Canadian study of both sexes found that obese women - but not men -
were more likely to develop asthma than thinner women. See More:
http://www.advanceforrcp.com/common/Editorial/editorial.aspx?CC=33919
DOCTORS DEBATE SMOKERS' RIGHTS TO SURGERY
Smokers should not be offered a wide range of elective surgical
procedures if they do not try or do not succeed in quitting smoking,
Dr. Matthew Peters wrote recently in the Medical Journal of
Australia. Dr. Peters, a thoracic surgeon, based his argument on a
Danish study which found that after joint replacement surgery,
smokers could reduce their risk of post-operative wound infection
from 27 percent to zero if they quit smoking six weeks before the
operation. Read more on this controversial debate at
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635249117.html
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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RECALLS
To view current U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls, go to
http://www.safetyalerts.com/
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> > > > > > > > >
FEATURED ARTICLES < < < < < < <
< <
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COMPLEMENTARY, ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
When you were a child and sprained an ankle or came down with the
flu, you probably visited a pediatrician to soothe your symptoms. As
an adult, you most likely visit your primary care physician for
everything from sinus pain to migraines, from asthma to diabetes.
But now your friends are suggesting treatments you've never heard of
- everything from homeopathy to ayurveda, from herbs and supplements
to yoga and acupuncture.
What are these complementary and alternative therapies you've been
hearing about? Are they safe? Will they work? Educate yourself
before starting any new therapy, and always tell your doctor which
ones you're trying.
Below is a link to the Mayo Clinic site on information on
alternative medicines.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/conditioncenters/centers.cfm?objectid=
11CDE163-B9AF-4654-AFE48C762662EA4D
GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS
Alternative treatments are widely advertised and easy to get. But
they rarely go through strict clinical studies. This WebMD guide can
help you become a smart consumer. See Guide:
http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/81/97049.htm
MORE ON ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
From yoga techniques to acupuncture to herbal supplements, learn
more about alternative therapies, medicines and nutrition at
http://www.healthology.com/focus_index.asp?b=healthology&f=alt_medicine
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NUTRITION/WELLNESS < < < < < < <
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CDC: RECOGNIZE STROKE, CALL AMBULANCE
Few Americans know the major warning signs of stroke, new survey
findings indicate, and few would call 9-1-1 immediately if they
thought someone was having a stroke. "A lot of people are afraid to
do that," said Dr. Janet Croft, senior epidemiologist at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. According to
the CDC, the five major warning signs for stroke are:
-- sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding;
-- sudden numbness or weakness, particularly on one side of
the body;
-- sudden vision trouble;-- dizziness or trouble walking;
-- and sudden severe headache with no apparent cause.See Story: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID
=5076995§ion=news
PETS: PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM INFECTION
Your pet may look healthy, but it can still transmit diseases to
your family. The link below leads to diseases to watch out for.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=9020B959-D2D3-4C60-8445A62B16F9E
7A6&si=2541
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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. For new subscribers, archives of back
issues of the newsletter can be accessed at
http://www.copd-international.com/Library/newsletters/archives.htm
A MUST READ - ONLINE HOSPICE CARE JOURNAL
One of our most delicate and tough areas of discussion are those
centering around the decisions about the Hospice program and
other related end of life issues. Betty Baareman, one of our
subscribers, has written about her daily experiences, which is
available in our Library, so that we all may gain a greater
understanding. Her husband, Ken, passed on April 30. To
read Betty's heartfelt account of Hospice care, please to
http://www.copd-international.com/library/hospice-story.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)
-- 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
-- General Information on Clinical Trials
http://www.COPD-International.com/Library/clinical_trials.htm
-- Continually Updated List of COPD Clinical Trials
http://www.COPD-International.com/Library/trials.htm
-- Quit Smoking Support
http://www.COPD-International.com/quit_smoking/
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http://www.COPD-International.com/exercise/
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Don't forget to checkout all our support programs listed on our
Home Page at
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JUST FOR FUN < < < < < < < < <
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PRINT JOB
Working as a computer instructor for an adult-education program
at a community college, the teacher was keenly aware of the gap
in computer knowledge between the younger and older students.
The instructor observations were confirmed the day a new student
walked into the library area and glanced at the encyclopedia volumes
stacked on a bookshelf.
"What are all these books?" he asked.
Somewhat surprised, the instructor replied that they were
encyclopedias.
"Really?" he said. "Someone printed out the whole thing?"
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RECIPE < < < < < < < < < <
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BAKED CHICKEN AND BACON
Barbecued chicken with a side of bacon cooked right in.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (18 ounce) bottle honey barbecue sauce
1 pound sliced bacon precooked
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Precook bacon to desired crispness.
3. Wash chicken and pat dry, then place in a 9x13 inch-baking
dish. Smother chicken with 1/2 of the barbecue sauce, then layer
precooked bacon slices crossways on top. Pour remaining 1/2 of
barbecue sauce over all.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until chicken
is cooked through and juices run clear. Serve one chicken breast
per person with the crispy pieces of bacon.
Allrecipes)
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CLOSING THOUGHT < < < < < < < <
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Happiness is like a butterfly:
the more you chase it, the more it will elude you,
but if you turn your attention to other things,
it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.
-- Henry David Thoreau --
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Thank You For Your Readership
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Notes
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