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Archive for April, 2009
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Go Take a Walk
Five years ago, I put together a team for my first Asthma Walk. It wasn’t a huge team, but we raised a fair amount of money for the event’s sponsor, the American Lung Association. Since the walk took place at Tampa’s excellent Lowry Park Zoo, the kids had fun, too. In the photo above, a [...] -
EPA to Declare Greenhouse Gases a Health Threat
This is a fantastic victory for the environmental community and a giant first step towards regulating carbon dioxide and other emissions. This “proposed finding” comes from a 2007 scientific review ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court. Announcing a proposed finding means the EPA now opens up to a 60-day public comment period, which will end [...] -
Lung = Fertile Soil for Tree Growth?
Artyom Sidorkin thought he had lung cancer and, after x-rays displayed what looked like a tumor, so did his doctors. But when surgeons opened up this Russian man’s chest to biopsy and remove part of his lung, they discovered a tiny fir tree growing inside. Seriously: -
Could Combo Inhalers Help the Asthma Gap?
Yesterday, I posted about some AAFA research on a perpetual problem in asthma treatment, the practice of stopping inhaled maintenance steroids when flare symptoms disappear. Recent Cochrane studies point to a possible solution, though–a combination inhaler somewhat like Advair, except it contains a short-acting beta-agonist and low-dose steroid rather than a long-acting one. The formoterol/budesonide [...] -
Superfoods – Beyond Blueberries
The University of Chicago came up with 10 new highly nutritious foods to enrich your diet with for better health and to give you a little variety from the usual superfood lists if you follow such things. (I do, to some extent.) According to Mary Russell, director of nutrition services at the university’s hospital, you [...] -
Asthma Patients Still Have Misperceptions of Control
Alternate post title: Asthma General Awareness and Perceptions (G.A.P.) survey, part II Of the 1,001 patients who participated in telephone research, 97% understood the risks of uncontrolled asthma but 70% misunderstood the concept of asthma control itself. Here’s how the researchers recognized the misunderstanding: that 70% stopped taking their maintenance meds once their asthma symptoms [...] -
What’s That About Hypoallergenic Dogs Again?
Last night, Jon Stewart provided some much-needed levity and perspective on the excessive media coverage of “Bo,” the First Family’s new pet dog. If you don’t watch the whole thing, fast-forward to the end to hear about the *Claridoodle,* the imaginary breed of designer dog perfect for kids like Malia Obama, who have allergies and [...] -
Another Coal Lawsuit – South Carolina
Here’s yet another lawsuit trying to stop another dirty, dirty coal-fired power plant from being built. This one’s planned for Florence County, on the banks of a river whose fish already have high mercury levels. Check it out: A lawsuit filed today by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of state and national advocacy [...] -
Hope for Prednisone-Induced Bone Loss
Severe and/or adult asthmatics, this one’s for you: You know how taking oral steroids often can weaken your bones? Here’s evidence that instead of taking daily medication, people with bone loss may benefit from injections of a drug called Reclast just once a year. According to this Novartis research, the injections prevented and reversed steroid-related [...]
