Friday Newsletter from COPD Support Inc.

Volume 8, Issue 31

July 4, 2008

Volume 8, Issue 31
July 4, 2008

Some thoughts on a slow news week with an early deadline:

News of just about everything has been relegated to the back page while the
California wild fires and Midwest floods take precedence. The one bit of news
that seems to overshadow these tragedies of huge proportions is that Amy
Winehouse has COPD. We just cannot escape that, and I suppose we should be
happy for the celebrity attention to our cause.

Almost 10 years ago when my husband and I joined COPD-Support word was that
COPD was expected to be the third leading cause of death. within 10 years. A
recent news item said that the ALA expects that COPD will be the third leading
cause of death by the year 2020. It’s nice to see such dates pushed back if
the data is an accurate reflection of current conditions. A long low-volume
complaint has been that deaths from COPD or respiratory problems are probably
not accurately reported when there are several health problems contributing.

And another warmed-up proposal last week was to make organ donation an opt-out
rather than an opt-in program (Presumed Consent). In other words one would
automatically be considered an organ donor unless you contacted the program
for an exclusion. I guess much like opting out of junk mail and telephone
calls. The opt-out program has done a lot to solve organ shortages in other
countries.

Presumed consent: A policy where you are a presumed organ donor unless you
notify the government that you don’t want to be. This is done is Spain and
Belgium and both countries have significantly reduced their waiting list.
England and others are moving in that direction. The Institute of Medicine
(IOM) of the National Academies of Science has supported the concept of
presumed consent and proposes that future legislative enactment can increase
the organ donor’s pool. A paper on the subject was accepted for presentation
at the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s 36th Critical Care Congress
February 17–21, 2007. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6939/7/14

http://bobsnewheart.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/unos-a-failure-at-increasing-organ-
donation/

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
FINDING A FEDERALLY-FUNDED HEALTH CENTER NEAR YOU
A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT LUNG CANCER AND TOBACCO CARCINOGENS
SMART CHIP REAL-TIME PCR GOES TO PITTSBURGH
*PCR POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION
HOW LOW TESTOSTERONE CAN AFFECT MEN’S LIVES
MISCELLANEOUS

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SOURCES: News items summarized in The COPD-NEWS are taken from secondary
sources believed to be reliable. However, the COPD Family of Services does not verify their accuracy.
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FINDING A FEDERALLY-FUNDED HEALTH CENTER NEAR YOU
Here’s a helpful new online tool from the Health Resources & Services
Administration: a way to find the federally-funded health center nearest you.
These centers play an important role in delivering care to the uninsured and
people on Medicaid, the government’s health program for the poor. Many doctors
won’t accept new Medicaid clients because of low payment rates.
Federally-funded health centers specialize in comprehensive primary care, or
basic medical services. If your kid has an infection or you have the flu or
your high blood pressure needs to be monitored, they could be a good option
for you.

Typically, poor people pay a minimal co-pay for services and there are sliding
fees for families with slightly higher incomes. By law, federally-funded
health centers are required to serve people considered “medically underserved”
(poor people, migrant workers, people in housing projects, and so on)
regardless of their incomes. About 40 percent of the centers’ patients are
uninsured; more than 45 percent are covered by Medicaid, SCHIP
(publicly-funded health insurance for kids), Medicare, or other public
programs. Nationally, more than 1,000 centers with 6,000 separate sites now
cover 16 million people, up 56 percent since 2001. Article at:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2008/07/finding-a-feder.html

Find a Health Center by local address or State and County
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search.aspx

A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT LUNG CANCER AND TOBACCO CARCINOGENS
ScienceDaily — Two types of cancer-causing agents in cigarettes–a
nicotine-derived chemical and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the
main culprits in lung cancer. Exposure to tobacco smoke — both mainstream and
second-hand — is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
Previous studies have shown how PAHs damage DNA, with the emphasis on how PAHs
bind directly to DNA itself, leading to the mutations in critical genes that
cause disease. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of
Medicine’s Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) have shown
that PAHs, via oxidative stress, can also led to mutations in critical genes
important in lung cancer. The findings were published online last week in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A recent microarray study of all 30,000 human genes asked what genes were most
over-expressed in non-small cell lung carcinoma. Of the eight genes that were
most abundantly overexpressed, two were AKR enzymes. “Because this study
relates AKR overexpression to oxidative damage of DNA with lung cancer, it
makes you wonder if the 10 percent of smokers that are most prone to lung
cancer, have either dysregulated AKR expression or genetic differences in
their AKRs that predispose them to disease.” Since oxidative stress is also
linked to tumor promotion, it is possible that his link may also explain other
stages of the disease process. “These findings go beyond the first step of DNA
damage and may provide a reason why disease
progresses.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080528124719.htm

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COMMERCIAL FREE: We do not accept any paid advertising. Any corporations,
products, medicines (prescription or non) mentioned in this newsletter are
for informational purposes only and not to be construed as an endorsement or
condemnation of same.
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SMART CHIP REAL-TIME PCR GOES TO PITTSBURGH
University of Pittsburgh Medical School acquires WaferGen Biosystems SmartChip
real-time PCR* (see below) System, enabling researchers to initiate the alpha
testing program for the system and panels as part of the group’s alpha testing
and research collaboration with WaferGen. The SmartChip real-time PCR system
is designed as the first whole genome, high throughput gene expression
real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platform and promises to deliver
significant speed and cost advantages to researchers in the gene expression
and genotyping markets SmartChip has the capacity to conduct 30,000 assays on
a single chip. Comparatively, today’s standard real-time PCR technologies are
only able to run 384 assays on a single plate…The result is the ability to
conduct gene expression research at a fraction of the time and cost associated
with current technologies.

Under terms of WaferGen’s collaboration with the University of Pittsburg
Medical School, researchers will leverage the high-throughput real-time PCR
capabilities of SmartChip to support their identification of
therapeutically-relevant biomarkers in the areas of COPD, idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis (IPF), and lung cancer. This research may lead to the discovery of
specific genes responsible for causing these diseases and conditions. In turn,
this critical genetic information may ultimately provide physicians with new
tools for determining accurate disease prognosis in patients, while also
potentially providing drug developers with information necessary for the
creation of targeted therapeutics for patients with COPD, IPF and lung cancer.

These experiments will be overseen by Steven Shapiro, Jack Myers professor and
chairman of the department of medicine at University of Pittsburgh and
Naftali Kaminski, director of the Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung
Disease. Shapiro is an expert in identifying and understanding the underlying
biological contributors to pulmonary diseases such as COPD, IPF, and lung
cancer. With the goal of uncovering novel and effective pulmonary disease
therapeutics, Shapiro and his team employ a multidisciplinary research
approach which the SmartChip is expected to strengthen.
http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/waf/waf101.html

*PCR POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique widely used in molecular
biology. It derives its name from one of its key components, a DNA polymerase
used to amplify a piece of DNA by in vitro enzymatic replication. As PCR
progresses, the DNA thus generated is itself used as template for replication.
This sets in motion a chain reaction in which the DNA template is
exponentially amplified. With PCR it is possible to amplify a single or few
copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating
millions or more copies of the DNA piece. PCR can be extensively modified to
perform a wide array of genetic manipulations. PCR is now a common and often
indispensable technique used in medical and biological research labs for a
variety of applications. These include DNA cloning for sequencing, DNA-based
phylogeny, or functional analysis of genes; the diagnosis of hereditary
diseases; the identification of genetic fingerprints (used in forensic
sciences and paternity testing); and the detection and diagnosis of infectious
diseases.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction

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MEDICAL DECISIONS. Your physician should be consulted on all medical
decisions. New procedures or drugs should not be started or stopped without
such consultation. While we believe that our accumulated experience has value,
and a unique perspective, you must accept it for what it is…the work of COPD
patients. We vigorously encourage individuals with COPD to take an active part
in the management of their disease. They do this through education and by
sharing information and thoughts with their primary physician and
pulmonologist. However, medical decisions are based on complex medical
principles and should be left to the medical practitioner who has been trained
to diagnose and advise.
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HOW LOW TESTOSTERONE CAN AFFECT MEN’S LIVES
(NAPSI)- Hypogonadism, or low testosterone, is a common condition in which a
man’s body does not produce enough testosterone. It is estimated to affect
more than 13 million men over the age of 45 in the United States; however,
more than 90 percent of those with the condition remain untreated. Men who are
suffering from other conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, or asthma/COPD are at an increased risk for low
testosterone. The symptoms of low testosterone can be common to many other
conditions and oftentimes are mistaken as depression or erectile dysfunction.
With symptoms that are physical and emotional, low testosterone can have a
significant impact on a man’s life. Dr. Natan Bar-Chama, director of Male
Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York said: “But the
good news is that a simple blood test is all that is needed to confirm the
diagnosis of low testosterone, and once identified, a variety of treatment
options are available.”
http://www.napsnet.com/articles/58679.html

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JOIN US? Subscription to this Newsletter is free and we hope that it serves
your needs. For more Newsletter information, go to:
http://copd-support1.com/signup-news.html

The Newsletter, like all the other endeavors of the Family of COPD Support
Programs, is provided to you by COPD-Support, Inc. a non-profit
member organization with IRS designation 501(c)(3). If you would like to be
involved and help us provide these programs to the individuals who
benefit from them, please consider joining us as a member. Further information
is available at:
http://copd-support1.com/membership.html
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MISCELLANEOUS

The enjoyment of living,
Is not where we have been,
It’s looking ever forward,
To another year and ten
http://www.allright.com/Poems/TOLRailway/TOL.htm

Fourth of July Trivia quiz
http://www.riversongs.com/happy/independence_day.html

Fun and Games for the Fourth
-Printable Patriotic Games
-Patriotic Songs of America
-Holiday Fun Page-Games for all seasons
http://hometown.aol.com/kidfun101/KidsParties4th/HolidayFunPg10Patriotic.html#Cr
edits

Patriotic Magazine Covers from the Past
http://wisher2.freewebspace.com/magazines/magazines.htm

Happy Birthday America!
http://members.aol.com/rivfs/July/4th.html

Fireworks
http://www.mamarocks.com/fireworks.htm

Until next Friday,

Joan Costello, Editor
Jadece@rcn.com

Web version of the News: http://copd-support1.com/news.html
Archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/copd-news.html

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July 5, 2008  Tags:   Posted in: COPD - Medications and Treatment, COPD Newsletters - Latest Editions

4 Responses

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