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, July 12, 2004
Volume #3 -- Issue #28
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 - New COPD Guidelines
==> 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
New COPD guidelines issued recently by the American Thoracic
Society and the European Respiratory Society aim to improve
information to patients and to encourage health care professionals
to optimize its prevention and treatment.
These are the first guidelines to be developed jointly by the two
societies and have been produced in a Web-based format to make
them accessible to patients and professionals throughout the world.
This issue features links to these new COPD guidelines.
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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PFIZER TO EXPAND PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE PLAN
Pfizer announced it plans to launch a comprehensive initiative
expanding access to prescription medicines for millions of
Americans. America's 43 million uninsured will have access to Pfizer
medicines free or at significant savings. Working families making
less than $45,000 will save an average 37 percent on Pfizer
medicines. Pfizer also plans to expand existing programs providing
free medicines to families making under $31,000. In August, Pfizer
will launch a Web site and a single toll-free number with live
operators to help people without insurance or their caregivers find
the program that best meets their need. The Web site and the 1-800
number will inform patients of both public and Pfizer programs. See
Press Release:
http://www.pfizer.com/are/news_releases/2004pr/mn_2004_0707.html
#additional
LUNG CANCER AFFECTS MORE THAN SMOKERS
While lung cancer has been tied to cigarette use, a New Hampshire
woman is trying to spread the word that even nonsmokers can be
diagnosed with the deadly disease. Gail Matthews said she was
stunned when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2000. Matthews
said she tried to eat right and lives a clean, healthy life, never
touching a cigarette. "The fastest growing [segment diagnosed with
lung cancer] in the United States is among nonsmoking, tall, white
women, and no one knows why," Matthews said. See Story:
http://www.thewmurchannel.com/health/3498374/detail.html
SARS MAY RAISE RISK OF TUBERCULOSIS
The discovery of tuberculosis (TB) in two patients with SARS raises
concern that the latter disease may somehow increase susceptibility
to the former, according to researchers from Singapore.
SARS or severe acute respiratory syndrome wreaked havoc on China,
Hong Kong, and other countries across the world last year. The
disease was found to be caused by a microbe called a coronavirus.
In the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers said the
occurrence of two cases of TB among 236 patients with probable SARS,
far exceeds the TB rates typically seen in the general population of
Singapore. In both cases, TB only came to light after full recovery
from SARS, when the patients developed persistent lung symptoms and
worsening chest X-ray findings. It is "highly likely," the team
notes, that both patients developed TB after acquiring SARS.
The investigators suggest that the SARS coronavirus temporarily
suppresses the immune system making it harder for people to fight
off the TB microbe if exposure occurs. (Clinical Infectious
Diseases, June 2004)
ABSTRACT: SMALL-AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION IN COPD
This abstract concludes that the progression of COPD is associated
with the accumulation of inflammatory mucous exudates in the lumen
and infiltration of the wall by innate and adaptive inflammatory
immune cells that form lymphoid follicles. These changes are coupled
to a repair or remodeling process that thickens the walls of these
airways. Abstract:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/350/26/2645
ABSTRACT: MUCUS HYPERSECRETION IN ASTHMA
This abstract contains several technical terms, but is worth
reading, as it gives hope for those of us who suffer with excessive
mucus. Abstract: Airway mucus hypersecretion is a feature of many
patients with asthma. It is indicative of poor asthma control and
contributes to morbidity and mortality. Excess mucus not only
obstructs airways but also contributes to airway
hyperresponsiveness.
Furthermore, asthma might have a specific mucus hypersecretory
pheno-type. Goblet cell hyperplasia and submucosal gland hypertrophy
are shared with other hypersecretory diseases, such as chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease; however, some features are different,
including mucus plugging, mucus "tethering" to goblet cells, plasma
exudation, and increased amounts of a low charge glycoform of mucin
(MUC) 5B and the presence of MUC2 in secretions.
Experimentally, most of the inflammatory mediators and neural
mechanisms implicated in the pathophysiology of asthma impact
upon the mucus hyper-secretory phenotype. There is currently huge
research interest in identifying targets involved in inducing mucus
abnormalities, which should lead to the rational design of anti-
hypersecretory drugs for treatment of airway mucus hypersecretion
in asthma. (Current Opinion in Pharmacology, June 2004)
INSPECTORS FINDS RASH OF PROBLEMS IN HOT TUBS
Americans dipping into the warm bubbles of a hot tub may be getting
a lot more than heat. More than half the hot tubs and spas in U.S.
hotels, campgrounds, gyms and other areas open to inspection violate
local or state health regulations, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) said. Inspectors found at least one problem
with water chemistry, filtration and circulation or basic spa
management on 56.8 percent of their 5,209 visits to sites in Florida
and four other states. Poor hot tub maintenance can create a perfect
environment for the spread of the bacteria that cause skin rashes
and respiratory infections. See Story:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=5568528&
section=news
HEAT! HAZE! HUMIDITY! HURRICANES!
Summer ushers in many enjoyable activities, but it also offers some
challenges. Among them are the three H's (haze, heat and humidity).
In some parts of the nation you can add another H because hurricanes
pose a threat. And all over, there is always a chance of a power
outage associated with summer storms. These challenges, in
particular, impact people with respiratory problems. There are many
ways to cope with specific issues of summer. See Tips:
http://www.advanceforrcp.com/common/Editorial/editorial.aspx?CC=36768
STUDY: INFLAMMATION IN ACUTE LUNG INJURY
Inflammation, with its associated redness, swelling and pain, is a
double-edged sword. It helps the body to heal and to defend itself
against invading pathogens. But uncontrolled inflammation can attack
and destroy the body's own tissue. In the lungs, this produces a
deadly condition called COPD. To control inflammation, the body
maintains a finely tuned balance between the activity of pro- and
anti-inflammatory genes and their proteins. Dr. Peter A. Ward of the
University of Michigan Medical School is trying to understand the
intricacies of this complex balancing mechanism. His goal is to help
scientists develop new therapeutic drugs to treat immune-related
diseases like COPD. See More:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040622013550.htm
CRT AN EFFECTIVE NEW THERAPY FOR HEART FAILURE
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a new form of treatment
for heart failure that "resynchronizes" the disordered movement of
the heart muscle, thus making the failing heart work much more
efficiently. Recent studies show that CRT, in appropriate patients,
cannot only significantly improve the symptoms of heart failure, but
can also prolong survival.
See More:
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/heartfailure
/a/CRT.htm
ASTHMA: DOUBLE DOSE OF BUDESONIDE QUESTIONED
The conclusion of this abstract is that in patients who regularly
take an inhaled corticosteroid, doubling the maintenance dose may
not affect the pattern of the exacerbation. (Budesonide is the
active component of Rhinocort nasal inhaler, Rhinocort Aqua nasal
spray and Pulmicort Turbuhaler.) See Abstract:
http://thorax.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/59/7/550
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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GUIDELINES AIMED AT IMPROVING COPD MANAGEMENT
New guidelines issued jointly by the American Thoracic Society and
the European Respiratory Society aim to improve information on COPD
to patients and to encourage healthcare professionals to optimize
its prevention and treatment.
The revised guidelines are evidence-based updates of previous
guidelines that the two societies developed separately in 1995. One
part of the guidelines, for health professionals, is designed to
improve awareness and early diagnosis of the disease and to promote
the idea that it is treatable. A second part, for patients, aims to
provide practical, accurate information on all aspects of the
disease.
Dr. Homer Boushey, professor of medicine at the University of
California, San Francisco, and president of the American Thoracic
Society, explained that the guidelines were developed because the
growing prevalence of the disease and advances in the field
warranted an update, particularly in treatment.
The new guidelines define COPD as "a preventable and treatable state
characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible."
This is a shift away from previous definitions, which represented
the disease as a combination of chronic bronchitis, emphysema and
air flow limitation. The guidelines say that a diagnosis of COPD
should be considered in any patient who has symptoms of cough,
sputum production, or dyspnea or a history of exposure to cigarette
smoke or noxious particles or gases.
Diagnosis requires spirometry. If the ratio of forced expiratory
volume n one second to forced vital capacity after treatment with
bronchodilators is less than 0.7, this confirms that airflow
limitation is not fully reversible and indicates a diagnosis of
COPD. (British Medical Journal)
See New Guidelines at
www.thoracic.org/COPD/default.asp
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> > > > > > > > > NUTRITION/WELLNESS < < < < < < < < <
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HARVARD CAN NOW ASSESS YOUR HEALTH ONLINE
It is a hypochondriac's dream come true. Harvard is now offering
some education with a difference: a Web site, which can calculate
your risk of suffering a major health problem such as a stroke or
cancer. Users who want to know what their chances are of contracting
particular forms of cancer or diabetes can click on to the site and
get a readout within three minutes after answering a series of
questions about their health. See Site:
http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu/hccpquiz.pl?func=home
SLEEP: ONE PATTERN DOESN'T FIT ALL
Research shows that our biological clock shifts throughout life,
resulting in different sleep patterns at different stages of life.
It turns out babies, teenagers, adults and older adults each have
their own odeal sleep schedule, not all of which fit the clock the
world runs by. A professor of psychiatry discusses how our sleep
patterns evolve over time, and what we can do to sleep better. See
Tips:
http://www.healthology.com/focus_article.asp?f=sleep_disorders&c=sleep_schedule
&spg=NWL&b=healthology
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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
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http://www.copd-international.com/Library/newsletters/archives.htm
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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/.
-- Bill Woods (Woody) is feeling great doing very well
following his lung transplant. He has had the last chest tube
removed, and is walking and eating.Here is how people can write to Woody in the hospital:
- Go to www.barnesjewish.org
- Select Patient -Visitor Info
- Select E-Mail Patient by Name
- Name William Woods
NEW SATURDAY CAREGIVERS CHAT ADDED
In an effort to try to accommodate everyone's busy schedules and
time issues, Kitty will start hosting an additional weekly
caregivers chat.
Who is welcome? Any caregiver that is interested in
sharing, chatting,
getting ideas and tips on how to deal with day to
day life - and especially
how to care for yourself !
It will be held Saturdays at 1 p.m. (Eastern Time). This will be
in addition to the two weekly caregivers chats already offered.
(See Below)
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: Saturdays at 1 pm., 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/
-- Exercise Forum
http://www.COPD-International.com/exercise/
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http://www.copd-international.com/caregivers/
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http://www.copd-international.com/COPDAdvocate/
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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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PLAY HOCKEY?
While giving a physical, the doctor noticed that his patient's shins
were covered with dark bruises. "Tell me," asked the doctor, "do you
play hockey or soccer?"
"Neither," said the man. "My wife and I play bridge."
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> > > > > > > > > > RECIPE < < < < < < < < < <
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CREAMY POTATO ONION SOUP
Creamy potato and onion soup, from Rose Elliot's "The Vegetarian
Mother and Baby Book" (Pantheon Books, 1996), is deceptively simple,
yet quite delicious.
Ingredients
1 pound peeled potatoes, cut into medium chunks (about 5
potatoes)
4 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt (11/2 teaspoons)
Freshly ground black pepper ( 1/4 teaspoon)
Nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon)
Directions:
Combine the potatoes, a quarter of the onions and the water in
a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until
the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a skillet. Add the
remaining onions, cover and cook over a low flame for about 15
minutes, or until very soft.
Transfer the potato mixture, including water, to a blender or
food processor and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to
the saucepan. Add the onions and butter to the puree.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and heat another few
minutes over a low flame. Those who don't mind the dairy might
consider stirring in a bit of cream at the end for extra
richness.
Makes 4 servings.
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> > > > > > > > > CLOSING THOUGHT < < < < < < < < <
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"That which seemed a problem often appears itself to be
the best thing that could have happened to you."
-- Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan --
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Thank You For Your Readership
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