09/17/10 Hearing Reveals Need to Educate Community on Competitive Bidding Changes
During a hearing held September 15, 2010, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry A. Waxman commented on the new Medicare competitive bidding program that is aimed at cutting costs of durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs and oxygen supplies. In 2008, Congress passed a law that changes the way Medicare will pay for many types of supplies that beneficiaries receive at home. The law phases in a program called "Competitive Bidding":http://blog.copdfoundation.org/how-you-can-protect-access Read More »

09/14/10 Drive4COPD Campaign Launches Ambassador Program to Unite Celebrities, Fans in Nationwide Contest
National health initiative DRIVE4COPD today announced the launch of its new Ambassador Program, which gives fans the opportunity to join their favorite celebrity in a common cause: raising awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Ambassador Program marks the beginning of the Great American Screen Off, a nationwide push this fall to screen Americans for their risk of COPD at DRIVE4COPD.COM. Fans can now enter the DRIVE4COPD Celebrity Race Team’s ongoing competition to Read More »

08/16/10 COPD Foundation Releases Spirometry Program on Medscape CME Site
For Immediate Release Contact:  Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation  Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Washington, D.C. (August 2010) — The Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of their “Spirometry Vignettes Program”, which is a comprehensi Read More »

08/10/10 AARC Thanks COPDF for Participation in Virtual Lobby Day
The Board of Directors and the membership of the AARC recognizes the COPD Foundation for supporting the first AARC Virtual Lobby Day on August 4th, 2010.  This event established a model for collaboration between the professional society and advocacy organizations. The COPD Foundation looks forward to future collaboration with the AARC and thanks them for their continued support. Read Letter from AARC to the COPDF Read More »

07/23/10 The National Health Council Applauds New Regulations on Insurance Claims Appeal Process
For Immediate Release (July 22, 2010) Washington, DC — The National Health Council (NHC) released the following statement in support of today’s White House announcement of new federal regulations to strengthen patients’ rights to appeal health insurance denials. The following statement is from Myrl Weinberg, President of the NHC: “People with chronic conditions make up the largest segment of users of health care in this country. They require care and treatment th Read More »

07/19/10 FDA Warns Consumers, Pharmacists & Wholesalers Not to Use Stolen Advair Diskus Inhalers
FDA NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: July 16, 2010 Media Inquiries: Elaine Gansz Bobo, 301-796-7567 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              301-796-7567      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Elaine.Bobo@fda.hhs.gov  Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              888-INFO-FDA &n Read More »

07/13/10 COPD Shuttle Featured on NHLBI's 'Director's Corner'
The COPD Foundation is pleased to have our _COPD Shuttle: Journey to the Center of the Lung_ featured in the "NIH’s NHLBI’s Director’s Corner":http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/directorspage/index.php?page=announcements The Director’s Corner falls in line with the Strategic Plan of the NHBLI, which is structured around three goals: 1) Form to Function, 2) Function to Causes, and 3) Causes to Cures. This approach, which helps the Read More »

07/12/10 COPD Educator Course
COPD Education is an area of growing employment opportunities. And with a growing COPD population, it is important you are able to discuss issues with your patients. In this course, designed in conjunction with the American Association for Respiratory Care, you will learn more about diagnosis, assessment, treatment, oxygen therapy, medication, and disease management. Plus, you will learn how to teach your patients about COPD and how to motivate them to control it. COPD Educator Course Learni Read More »

07/09/10 COPDF Releases New Guide on Home Oxygen Changes
The COPD Foundation has released a new guide on how the changes to the way Medicare pays for home oxygen will impact patients. What’s the Issue? In 2008, Congress passed a law that changes the way Medicare will pay for many types of supplies that beneficiaries receive at home. The law phases in a program called ‘competitive bidding’ starting January 1, 2011 in 9 different geographic regions (see below). The supplies impacted by competiti Read More »

07/08/10 Cochrane Study Poorly Designed, Says Alpha-1 Foundation
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Bob Campbell, Alpha-1 Foundation Email: rcampbell@alphaone.org Tel: 305-567-9888 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              305-567-9888      end_of_the_skype_highlighting Ext. 230 MIAMI, FL (July 2010)—The Alpha-1 Foundation today challenged a newly published review which questions the value of augmentation therapy for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Read More »

06/22/10 COPDF Submits Comments on a New Strategic Framework to Manage Multiple Chronic Conditions
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 WASHINGTON, DC (June 2010) —The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has proposed a Draft Strategic Framework with the goal of reducing the burden Read More »

06/03/10 Stakeholders Meet to Draft Statewide COPD Action Plan in New York
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 New York, NY (June 11th, 2010) —The New York COPD Coalition Summit, which is taking place June 11th, will focus on creating a COPD Action Plan for the state Read More »

05/06/10 COPD Foundation Unveils Motion Simulator Capsule
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: CPR for COPD Foundation Ihor Andruch 201.641.1911 x50 iandruch@cpronline.com Virtual Journey Inside Human Body Reveals Ravages of Smoking and Air Pollution on Lung Tissue _International Conference: American Thoracic Society, May 14-19, 2010, New Orleans, LA_ WASHINGTON, D.C./NEW ORLEANS, L.A.– May 6, 2010 – Using a 20-seat state-of-the-art mobile motion simulator called COPD Shuttle: Journey to the Center of the Lung Read More »

04/28/10 Foundation Now Offering Physician Program on COPD in Spanish
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Course Designed to Bridge the Gap with Spanish-speaking Community Washington, D.C. (April 2010)—The COPD Foundation launched a Spanish version of the progr Read More »

04/15/10 First Maryland COPD Coalition Summit To Be Held This Month
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Stakeholders from Across the State Come to Draft COPD Action Plan Washington, D.C. (April 15, 2010)—Stakeholders from all areas of the Maryland community w Read More »

03/24/10 Stewart Windham, Long-time COPD Community Advocate, Passes at Age 55
TUPELO, Mississippi--William Stewart Windham, 55, who was long active in advocacy and support for patients with COPD and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, died Tuesday at North Mississippi Medical Center after a brief illness. Windham, who had lung disease due to Alpha-1, had been hoping to be accepted on a lung transplant list later this year. He was a well-known musician and music store owner who was wheelchair-bound and near death in 1996 after years of severe breathing problems. On a visit t Read More »

03/23/10 House Passes Health Care Reform; COPD Community Awaits to See Its Effects
The House of Representatives Sunday night approved historic health care reform legislation. The House passed both the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was passed by the Senate in December, and the Reconciliation Act of 2010, which includes changes to the Senate-passed bill. “We are following the progress of this legislation carefully,” said COPD Foundation President John Walsh. “We are hoping to clarity its effects on the COPD Read More »

03/23/10 Reconciliation Bill Does Little to Improve on HME Provisions
WASHINGTON--A $940 billion healthcare reform bill passed by the House of Representatives Sunday contained a revised proposal to tax medical device manufacturers, but little else of note for the HME industry, stakeholders said. The Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, which would amend the Senate health care reform bill passed in December, would impose a 2.3% tax on Class I, II and III medical devices. It would exempt items typically purchased by the public at reta Read More »

03/16/10 Change in Daylight Saving Time May Affect Your Medical Equipment in an Unpredictable Way
If you have any medical equipment that uses, creates or records time information about your diagnosis or treatment and the manufacturer has not updated it, the equipment may not work properly when Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts and ends. Beginning in 2007, the start and end dates of Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. were changed. Medical equipment you use could have been made before the DST rules were changed, and so your equipment may use the wrong dates for the start and end of daylight sav Read More »

03/02/10 US COPD Coalition holds webinar on Year of the Lung
On February 9th, 2010 the U.S. COPD Coalition held a webinar in conjunction with the _COPD: Learn More Breathe Better Campaign_ focusing on the Year of the Lung. Coalition Vice-Chair John Walsh introduced the Coalition and its activities and Dr. Dean Schraufnagel, President-elect of the American Thoracic Society, briefed the audience on the origins of the Year of the Lung campaign. Dr. Schraufnagel also outlined some of the planned activities in the U.S. and offered audience members strategies Read More »

02/23/10 Program launched with MedscapeCME, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Washington, D.C. (February, 2010)—The Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of their “10 Steps Program”, which is a c Read More »

02/18/10 Celebrities ‘Tweet’ to Drive COPD Awareness and Action
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 h3. PATTY LOVELESS WINS THE DRIVE4COPD “RACE FOR THE MISSING MILLIONS” BY SCREENING NEARLY 6,000 PEOPLE DURING CELEBRITY KICKOFF Ridgefield, CT Read More »

02/12/10 COPDF Partners in DRIVE4COPD Campaign; Daytona300 Kick-off Tomorrow
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 h3. COPD Foundation Partners in Drive4COPD Campaign: _Campaign Aims to Spread Awareness and Screen 1 Million for COPD_ Daytona Beach, FL (February 12th, 2010)â€&rd Read More »

02/08/10 "Hugs4Holly" campaign used Twitter, Super Bowl to help raise funds to pay for lung transplant
This past Super Bowl Sunday, the "Hugs4Holly" campaign utilized the social media website Twitter to raise funds for Holly Julian, a COPDer who is facing a double-lung transplant at University Transplant Center in San Antonio, TX. During halftime, the "Hugs4Holly" campaign urged people to go online and watch "The Other Halftime Show", a benefit concert put on by TwitterJamBand to raise money for Julian's medical expenses. Julian, along with husband Steve Julian (a member of the band), the Natio Read More »

02/03/10 New COPD Awareness Campaign, DRIVE4COPD, Kicks Off Today
DRIVE4COPD Sheds Light on the Nation's 4th Leading Killer Through Unprecedented Public Health Initiative: Hollywood, Sports and Music Stars Drive 6,000 Miles Cross Country to Identify the Millions of People with COPD Who May Not Know They Have It Ridgefield, CT, February 3, 2010 /PRNewswire/—A powerful group of entertainment, sports and healthcare organizations and celebrities have joined forces to screen millions of people who may be at risk for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Read More »

01/29/10 COPD Foundation Launches Year of the Lung Campaign, Joins Global Partners to Spread Awareness
_For Immediate Release_ Media Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Washington, DC (January 29, 2010)—This year has been proclaimed the Year of the Lung by health care professional societies worldwide including the Amer Read More »

01/13/10 COPD Foundation's Healthy People 2020 Public Comment, Re: COPD
_Submitted via the web at http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/comments on 12/28/2009_ To Whom It May Concern: The COPD Foundation is the national not-for-profit organization solely dedicated to representing individuals with COPD in the United States. COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases, encompassing emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory asthma, and severe bronchiectasis. This disease is characterized by increasing b Read More »

01/13/10 Foundation to Host Biomarker Qualification Workshop/Webcast, January 27-28
On January 27th and 28th in Bethesda, MD, the COPD Foundation, along with academic experts, pharmaceutical companies and the FDA, have designed a workshop that will focus on the scientific and clinical issues in the development and qualification of biomarkers for COPD. The COPD Biomarkers Qualification Workshop will feature expert panels that will share data and engage in debates with workshop attendees, including individuals representing academic institutions, government entities and pharmaceu Read More »

12/18/09 Dr. Tom Petty Memorial to be Created for Pioneer, Advocate
Dr. Tom Petty, a pulmonologist and a leader in home oxygen therapy, died Saturday at his home in Denver, Colorado. He was 76 years old. “Tom was not only a true pioneer in pulmonary medicine and a founding member of the COPD Foundation Board of Directors, he was a good friend to all of us with COPD,” John W. Walsh, President of the COPD Foundation says. “He has been a true inspiration to us all, and had been courageous in fighting his own battl Read More »

12/08/09 Foundation to Honor Dr. Mehmet Oz at New York City Fundraiser for COPD
Washington, D.C. (December 9th, 2009)—The COPD Foundation Board of Directors will honor Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” for his commitment to health care awareness and quality in a New York City fundraising event next week. The event will raise funds to support research and awareness for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. “I’ve had the pleas Read More »

11/30/09 New Survey Provides Insights for Patients and Caregivers Managing COPD
_For Immediate Release_ Media Contact: Julie Piszczor Powell Tate 202-585-2106 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              202-585-2106      end_of_the_skype_highlighting jpiszczor@powelltate.com New Survey Provides Insights for Patients and Caregivers Managing COPD: Patients Report Improved Quality of Life When Well-Informed and Use Appropriate Therapy Basking Ridge, N.J., November 2009& Read More »

11/20/09 COPD Awareness Night at the Everblades
MIAMI, FL (November 20, 2009)—The Florida COPD Coalition and the Southwest Florida COPD Advocate Team are teaming up with the COPD Foundation to host a COPD Awareness Night with the Everblades on November 20 to educate and inform the public about COPD. “It’s a community event with 6,000 people attending the hockey game, and we’ll be there to provide information for awareness of COPD and smoking cessation information,&ac Read More »

11/19/09 Foundation Commends Congress for Recognizing the Importance of COPD During Awareness Month
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 WASHINGTON, DC (November 19, 2009)—A COPD resolution introduced into the House of Representatives and a letter addressed to its members are two big steps se Read More »

11/18/09 Every 4 Minutes an American Dies of COPD, 24 Million Americans Have COPD, 12 Million Don’t Know It
_For Immediate Release_ Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Cell: 202-591-7565 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              202-591-7565      Read More »

11/18/09 New Report Shows COPD Affects Younger Generations, National Concern that Impacts All Americans
For Immediate Release Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Washington, D.C. (November 18th, 2009)—A new report, _COPD Uncovered_, released today, is bringing to light new information about the state of Chronic Obstruc Read More »

11/12/09 Foundation Engages in Grassroots Advocacy Efforts on World COPD Day, November COPD Awareness Month
For Immediate Release Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Washington, D.C. (November 12, 2009)—The COPD Foundation is hosting several events throughout November COPD Awareness Month. Coordinated by the Foundation&aci Read More »

10/30/09 COPD Foundation Plans Advocacy, Awareness Activities Throughout November COPD Month
For Immediate Release Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 Washington, DC (October 30, 2009)—The COPD Foundation is sponsoring and participating in several activities as part of November COPD Awareness Month. Among th Read More »

10/29/09 John Walsh, President, Interviewed for Allergy and Asthma Magazine
John Walsh, President of the COPD Foundation, is interviewed in the October issue of Allergy & Asthma Today magazine. Walsh discusses chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alpha-1, and coping with lung disease in the article. The complete article and an extended interview is available online "here":http://www.aanma.org/2009/10/family-ties-living-with-copd/. Read More »

10/07/09 Foundation Congratulates Dr. Collins and Dr. Bird
For Immediate Release Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 WASHINGTON, DC (October 7, 2009)—The COPD Foundation congratulates National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Forrest M. Bird of Read More »

10/02/09 COPD Foundation Congratulates Community Organizations Awarded NHLBI Funds for Outreach Efforts
For Immediate Release Contact: Ifdy Perez, COPD Foundation Email: iperez@copdfoundation.org Tel: 1-866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 398 WASHINGTON, DC (October 1, 2009)—The COPD Foundation congratulates the community organizations awarded subcontracts this morning under the National Heart, Lung Read More »

09/23/09 Drugmakers Offer Discounts to Lower Costs for Patients
From the Wall Street Journal A growing number of drug makers are offering coupons that help reduce the out-of-pocket costs of some prescription drugs. These discount and rebate coupons are mostly available for newer, brand-name drugs when there may be cheaper, just-as-effective alternatives, consumer advocates and medical experts say. As recently as last week, Sepracor was offering a discount card online for up to $50 off a 30-day supply of its sleep medication Lunesta good for 12 months -- a Read More »

09/18/09 New Quality of Life Tool for COPD Patients Launched: Foundation Endorses COPD Assessment Test (CAT)
WASHINGTON, DC (September 18, 2009)—At the European Respiratory Society Conference in Vienna, Austria, leading scientific members of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) steering committee launched a new tool that experts say will improve communication between health care providers and patients. Dr. Stephen Rennard, Larson Professor of Medicine at the University of Nebraska, says conventional questions and general responses fail to convey important information in the context of COP Read More »

09/10/09 COPDF Statement: Proposed Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Department of Health and Human Services 445-G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201 RE: CMS-1414-P – Proposed Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2010 Payment Rates and CMS-1413-P Medicare Program Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2010 Submitted via the web at http://www.regulations.gov To Whom It May Co Read More »

08/24/09 Advair Drug Recall for Lot #9ZP7632
On August 4th, 2009 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) issued a drug recall for Advair Diskus(R) 100/50 mcg packaged as 60 doses for lot number 9ZP7632. According to the notice issued by GSK: "This lot is being recalled due to a low level defect that may result in the patient not receiving the medication as they advance doses through the Diskus unit." More information about the recall along with steps to take if this affects you, can be found on this notice: August 4, 2009 Advair Recall or by contacting the Read More »

07/28/09 Operation 435 Action Alert: Contact Your Representative to Join the Congressional COPD Caucus Today
Join the COPD Movement! More than 20 million Americans have COPD and half of them donÂ’t know it. Even though it is America'Â’s fourth-leading cause of death, millions of Americans have never even heard of COPD. That includes our elected leaders in Washington, DC. The COPD Foundation has launched Operation 435. Our goal is simple: to build a nationwide movement of COPD patients. By speaking out, and sharing our personal stories, we can raise awareness and make the elimi Read More »

07/09/09 Francis Collins, former head of National Human Genome Research Institute, to head of NIH
ANN ARBOR, MI – President Barack Obama has announced his nomination of ex-University of Michigan genetics pioneer Francis S. Collins as director of the National Institutes of Health. Collins holds doctorates in medicine and science and headed the National Human Genome Research Institute from 1993 to 2008. In 2003, scientists from the institute helped finish the decoding of the human genetic structure. In his announcement, Obama praised Collins as “one of t Read More »

06/18/09 Retirees May Need to Save More to Cover Health Care Costs
Retirees need to set aside more savings to cover health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs than ever before, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute. Men and married couples, on average, will need 9% more in savings than a year ago to pay for healthcare, while women will need 16% more in savings for healthcare than last year, the institute concluded. Male Medicare beneficiaries with supplemental insurance such as Part D or MediGap will need $86,0 Read More »

06/18/09 More than Half of Americans are Cutting Costs in their Medical Care
A majority of Americans—61%—say they believe health reform is more important than ever, given the nation’s serious economic problems, according to a June health tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Also, six in 10 Americans say the nation’s healthcare system could be reformed without spending more money to do so. In a news release about the poll, Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman said that view might be un Read More »

05/18/09 COPD Foundation Launches Online “Lung Health Check” on WebMD
Official Press Release SAN DIEGO, CA (May 17, 2009)—The COPD Foundation announces launch of the Lung Health Check, developed in an educational collaboration with WebMD. Development of the Lung Health Check was made possible by funding from the COPD Foundation. The Lung Health Check is an educational platform at "www.webmd.com/lung-disease-health-check":http://www.webmd.com/lung-disease-health-check that both teaches the key symptoms and risks of developing lung disease, and Read More »

05/06/09 COPDF & American Association for Respiratory Care Launch COPD Educator Course Series
Miami, FL (May 6, 2009)—The COPD Foundation and the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) launched a COPD Educator Course for respiratory therapists (RTs); the Educator Course is a series of one-day training seminars for RTs, which will take place at several cities across the nation. “The COPD Foundation is excited about this collaboration with the AARC and to be able to cosponsor an educator series that will provide these respiratory therapists Read More »

05/02/09 25 Worst Cities For Ozone Pollution (Forbes.com)
This time of year, many Americans are concerned with sunburns. In some areas, they should pay more attention to smog. The reason? Though it's often invisible, air pollution is a threat to 186 million Americans, according to a new report released by the American Lung Association. The annual report--State of the Air 2009--found that six in 10 Americans live in counties where ozone or particle pollution has reached dangerous levels. Both types of pollution can be deadly and have been linked to wo Read More »

05/02/09 Almirall, Forest Labs Researching New COPD Drug Application for 2012
Spanish drug maker Laboratorios Almirall SA (ALM.MC) has started additional studies on a drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, following a request for more information from U.S. and European Union health authorities. In a regulatory filing, Almirall said the company expects to file a new-drug application for the product in late 2011 or early 2012 in the U.S. and in Europe. Initially, Almirall and its U.S. partner Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX) had planned to apply late this y Read More »

04/30/09 Swine Flu Raised to Phase 5, Cautions for Individuals with Lung Disease
Washington, D.C.—With the news media crawling over updates on the recent swine flu cases, Dr. Robert A. Sandhaus states that there is “no cause for panic,” but it is important for those with lung diseases, such as COPD, to take precaution and avoid individuals with signs and symptoms of the flu. Such symptoms include: Headache Extreme tiredness Cough Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose Body aches Though it is difficult to distinguish these Read More »

04/26/09 New MSU Dates Added!
The COPD Foundation's Mobile Spirometry Unit (MSU) will be providing free lung testing at South Florida-area Walgreens stores from April 27th through May 2nd, 2009. Click on the date/location below for more information: "April 27, 2009 - Miami":/news/events/free_lung_testing_with_msu_in_south_florida_walgreens "April 28, 2009 - Pembroke Pines":/news/events/free_lung_testing_with_msu_in_south_florida_walgreens1 "April 29, 2009 - Sunny Isles Beach":/news/events/free_lung_testing_with_msu_in_sou Read More »

04/24/09 Advocates in Chicago Raising Awareness for Alpha-1 Testing
This month in Springfield, dozens of patients, volunteers and staff from Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) are convening at the state capital for Illinois State Lung Health Advocacy Day. Community leaders, patients and advocacy organizations are meeting with state senators and representatives to discuss lung health issues, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – the 4th leading cause of death in the United States and in Illinois. One o Read More »

04/20/09 NIH Draft Guidelines on Stem Cell Research Receives Some Praise, Some Concern
The federal government yesterday released its draft rules for funding embryonic stem cell research - expanding opportunities but stopping short of allowing government-sponsored scientific projects to use human embryos created solely for experimental purposes. The National Institutes of Health proposed limiting federally funded research to use of embryos that would otherwise be discarded from fertility clinics. That is expected to significantly expand the number of stem cell lines available to r Read More »

04/11/09 National Health Council's "Put Patients First" Needs 3,000 Signatures in 3 Weeks
The National Health Council is seeking at least 3,000 signatures in 3 weeks to support the Petition to "Put Patients First":http://www.nationalhealthcouncil.org/pages/patients-first.php. This petition seeks to bring about health care reform to help those with long-term diseases and disabilities to achieve effective and affordable health care, based on the "5 Principles":http://nationalhealthcouncil.org/forms/5-healthcare-principals.pdf: 1. Cover Everyone. 2. Curb Costs Responsibly. 3. Abolish Read More »

04/08/09 Dietary Counseling Helped Some with COPD, Study Shows
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with chronic lung conditions tend to be underweight or malnourished, but dietary counseling can help them gain some weight and function better, new research shows. For their study, Dr. C. Elizabeth Weekes, from St. Thomas' Hospital, London, and colleagues recruited 59 people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, an umbrella term for lung conditions such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. The participants were assigned on a random basis to recei Read More »

04/07/09 COPD Action Alert! Operation 435: Mission #2
Dear Members of the COPD Community, Last week we asked for your help. "Will you call your Congressman," we wrote, "and ask him to sign a letter about COPD?" I am happy to report that many people did in fact call their Congressman. As a result, nearly 20 Representatives signed the letter, which asks Congress to start a campaign against COPD. Not a bad start. The letter is part of our new advocacy campaign, Operation 435. It has a simple premise: The more we talk COPD, the more we can do about Read More »

04/07/09 Burden of COPD: Racial Disparities Among the Medicaid Population
Taken from the Chest Journal pub. April 2009 Background: Asthma and COPD are characterized by substantial racial disparities in morbidity and mortality, with African-American (AA) patients experiencing greater mortality and morbidity. This suggests that AA with COPD and/or asthma would use greater healthcare resources. We tested the hypothesis that AA patients utilize more healthcare resources than Caucasians (C) when no difference in health insurance exists. Methods: A retrospective populatio Read More »

04/07/09 Senators Lincoln and Crapo send "Dear Colleague" Letter in Support of $1M COPD Program at CDC
WASHINGTON--Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), both Co-Chairs of the COPD Congressional Caucus, have sent a letter to their Colleagues in the US Senate to request their support for $1 million to be allocated in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget for a national COPD prevention program at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Currently, there is no such program at the CDC. In the letter, Senators Lincoln and Crapo note that millions of constituents (approximately 10-12 million) are Read More »

03/27/09 People with COPD May Have Problems with Swallowing-Breathing Dynamic
HealthDay News A disrupted breathing-swallowing pattern may explain why people with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk for aspiration pneumonia, researchers report. Patients with moderate to severe COPD show alterations between normal breathing and swallowing patterns (during eating) even when they're not experiencing exacerbations, according to the study by Roxann Diez Gross and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh. "In healthy subject Read More »

03/26/09 Boston U Medical School Find Link to COPD
Published by _HealthDay News_ Gene variants that may be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been identified by Boston University School of Medicine researchers. They studied 7,691 participants in the Framingham Heart Study in an attempt to identify a relationship between common genetic variants and measures of lung function. This led them to gene variants on chromosome 4 that could be a potential risk factor for the disease, known as COPD. "Several interesting genes are Read More »

03/23/09 Foundation President to Co-chair Session at First World Conference of COPD Patients in Rome
John Walsh, President of the COPD Foundation, will co-chair a session of the First World Conference of COPD Patients in Rome, Italy, on June 14th, 2009. The conference will feature 23 experts in COPD patient care from all over the world, along with COPD patients themselves, educators, activists, and public health officials. Attendees can also participate in the endorsement and dissemination of the global COPD Patient’s Bill of Rights. For more information about the First Wor Read More »

03/23/09 Neurotransmitter Receptor Linked to COPD
"DURHAM, N.C., March 20 -- Two genetic variants on chromosome 15 are associated with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially in smokers, researchers here said. The association is "powerful enough to make genetic screening of smokers an attractive interventional strategy," according to David Goldstein, Ph.D., of Duke University Medical Center, and colleagues. The two variants -- single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs -- are in or near the gene for the a-ni Read More »

03/20/09 COPDGene Study reached 3,000!
Established in April 2007, the COPD Research Registry began its presumably slow journey to recruiting individuals with COPD to support the COPDGene Study--a study that was awarded $37 million by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to conduct a genome-wise association analysis to to identify the primary genes that determine why some individuals are more susceptible to developing COPD than other individuals. “COPD is clearly a genetically-influenced disease. O Read More »

03/19/09 COPD Action Alert! Ask Your Congressman to Sign the Letter for $1 Million to Fight COPD!
The COPD Foundation is urging the federal government to launch a nationwide campaign against COPD. This would lead to better treatments, increased awareness and diagnoses. Representatives John Lewis and Cliff Stearns are circulating a Dear Colleague letter in Congress in support of $1 million to start such a campaign. All Representatives in Congress are being asked to sign the letter. It will be sent to the Chairman of the committee that sets funding levels for health programs. h2. Take Acti Read More »

03/19/09 Kamada Completes Step in Study of Inhaled AAT with Bronchiectasis Patients
NESS ZIONA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kamada, a bio-pharmaceutical company (www.kamada.com) engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of specialty life-saving therapeutics, announced today that it has completed the last patient visit in a Phase II bronchiectasis study with its Inhaled Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT), delivered via an optimized Investigational eFlow Nebulizer System (PARI Pharma GmbH). Preliminary results indicate that the product continues to demonstrate a good safety pro Read More »

03/09/09 COPD Foundation Assisting with Medicare Home-Oxygen User Complaints
MIAMI, FL — In order to address the complaints that have arisen as a result of changes in Medicare home oxygen equipment reimbursement, the COPD Foundation’s resource hotline—the C.O.P.D. Information Line (1-866-316-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-316-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting)—will be Read More »

03/04/09 FDA Approves Symbicort for COPD
_Web MD_ The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Symbicort, a metered-dose inhaler previously used to treat asthma, to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to AstraZeneca, which makes Symbicort, the FDA approved Symbicort for COPD based on two clinical trials that included more than 3,600 COPD patients aged 40 and older. Symbicort’s active ingredients are formoterol (a long-acting beta agonist) and budesonide (a corticoster Read More »

02/11/09 National Jewish Health Receives Grant to Launch Spirometry Training Program
Miami, Florida (Feb. 11, 2009)– National Jewish Health was awarded an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to produce a series of Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities to train healthcare providers in underserved areas across the country on how to conduct spirometry testing. Spirometry is a pulmonary function test measuring the volume and flow of air that can be exhaled, and is an important tool for assessing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( Read More »

01/21/09 Correction to Phone Number for Reporting Oxygen Service Complaints
In the recent issue of the COPD Digest, and article was published (on page 20) in respect to the new changes in Medicare payment for home oxygen and equipment. The article listed the C.O.P.D. Information Line as the contact number to report complaints in regards to oxygen service. Please note that the correct number to call is 1-866-316-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-866-316-2673    &nb Read More »

01/07/09 Welcome to the New COPD Foundation website!
We're pleased to announce the launch of the new COPD Foundation website! This site has much more information and resources available for your use. New sections added to this site include information for diagnosed individuals about "what it means to have a COPD diagnosis":/patients_caregivers/diagnosed_families_caregivers, an ever-developing section for "Caregivers":/patients_caregivers/diagnosed_families_caregivers/questions_answers_for_caregivers, a "Spirometry 101":/pros/testing_diagnosis/spi Read More »

12/31/08 US COPD Coalition commends federal action to improve lives of Americans with lung disease
For the millions of Americans living with COPD, 2008 has been a very successful year, as legislative action and federal agency participation has moved forward to improve information, awareness and services to those who suffer from the condition, according to the U.S. COPD Coalition. November is National COPD Awareness Month. Sponsored by the U.S. COPD Coalition, the observance is a time for organizations and communities across the country to increase the overall awareness of COPD. COPD is the Read More »

12/31/08 Survey finds growing awareness of COPD, nation’s 4th Leading killer
h3. Understanding of the disease and its risk factors, including smoking, remains low WASHINGTON—Awareness of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is growing, but few Americans have a thorough understanding of the disease, according to a national survey released today. The new data show that 64 percent of survey respondents have heard of COPD, compared with 49 percent in a 2004 survey. Among those who reported hearing of COPD, only half recognized the disease as a lea Read More »

12/31/08 Foundation President John Walsh one of six appointed to NIH Council of Public Representatives
Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the selection of John Walsh, President and CEO of the Alpha-1 Foundation, and five others to serve as members of the Director’s Council of Public Representatives (COPR), the advisory committee to the NIH Director on issues important to the public. “These new members bring extensive knowledge and professional experience in public health law and policy, school-based health, state health policy, outreach to underserv Read More »

12/31/08 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Regarding Meta‐analysis Report Concerning Inhaled Tiotropium (Spiriva®)
On Wednesday, September 24th, 2008, the COPD Foundation hosted a teleconference with Dr. Byron Thomashow, Chairman of the COPD Foundation Board of Directors, and Dr. Dave Balazar of Boehringer‐Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, to answer questions regarding the day’s release of a meta‐analysis report in the _Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)_ concerning inhaled tiotropium, marketed as Spiriva®, which is a long‐acting i Read More »

12/22/08 FDA Panel Expresses Safety Concerns about Asthma Drugs
(Please note that the following information pertains to Asthma, and is not a COPD issue.) This week, the FDA held a joint meeting of the Pulmonary Allergy Drug Advisory Committee and Pediatric Advisory Committee to review the safety and efficacy of long-acting beta agonists (LABA) for the treatment of asthma. The advisory panel voted to remove the asthma indication in all age groups for two single- agent LABA products; salmuterol [should be salmeterol] (produced by GSK as Serevent) and formote Read More »

11/11/08 First Florida COPD Summit scheduled in Orlando November 7, 2008
Contact: Jorge Zamudio COPD Foundation 866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 246 jzamudio@copdfoundation.org Release Oct. 17, 2008 *First Florida COPD Summit scheduled in Orlando Nov. 7; aims for statewide COPD Coalition, action plan to combat increasing illness, deaths due to lung disease* ORLANDO, FL â€&ld Read More »

11/11/08 Inhaled Anticholinergics and Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With COPD
Spiriva Safety US Press Release “Inhaled anticholinergic medications have been an important agent in COPD care for many years. All available guidelines stress the importance of maintenance therapy in COPD patients with moderate, severe, or very severe disease. Inhaled Tiotropium, a long acting inhaled anticholinergic agent has been a mainstay of COPD care. The meta-analysis published in JAMA on September 24th raises concerns over cardiovascular risks. However meta-analysis of Read More »

09/24/08 COPD Awareness Night with the Durham Bulls
The COPD Foundation partnered with the NHLBI’s _COPD Learn More Breathe Better_ Campaign, the North Carolina COPD Task Force, and Dey, LP to coordinate COPD Awareness Night with the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball club in Durham, North Carolina. We conducted free lung testing, and distributed co-branded Campaign fact sheets and other materials. The Bulls recognized all partners during an on-field ceremony and presented a game ball to the Task Force for their work in No Read More »

08/12/08 Florida COPD Summit aims at statewide COPD Coalition, action plan
Contact: Jorge Zamudio COPD Foundation 866-731-2673 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              866-731-2673      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, ext. 246 jzamudio@copdfoundation.org h5. Release August 12, 2008 TALLAHASSEE, FL – Governor Charlie Crist and members of the Florida Cabinet today recognized the COPD Foundation and the statewide Florida COPD steering committee fo Read More »

07/28/08 COPD Patients Need More Information About Their Disease
By David Holmes 25 July 2008 Lung 2008; Advance online publication MedWire News: Most patients with, or at risk for, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have little knowledge of the condition, and many have never heard of it, US researchers report. Donna Parker and colleagues from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, explain in the journal Lung that, despite the introduction of awareness campaigns, "COPD remains under-identified, under-diagnosed, and under-treated." "Full Read More »

07/21/08 Medicare Bill Passes - Congress Overrides Presidents Veto
Last week, Congress voted to override President's Bush's veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 6331). This legislation averts the 10.6% cut in Medicare physician reimbursement in 2008 and 5% cut in 2009. The bill also includes a provision to create a pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation benefit in Medicare. Both wins are significant for the respiratory community. The bill replaces the 10.6% cut in Medicare physician payments that started on July 1, 2008 and repl Read More »

07/18/08 Congress overrides Medicare payment bill veto
WASHINGTON - Congress on Tuesday rejected President Bush's veto of legislation protecting doctors from a 10.6 percent cut in their reimbursement rates when treating Medicare patients. The override vote in the House was a lopsided 383-41, easily meeting the two-thirds threshold needed to nullify the president's veto. About an hour later, the Senate voted to override, 70-26. Bush has vetoed bills nine times, and Congress has had the muscle to override him only on a water projects bill and twice Read More »

07/14/08 ACTION ALERT! Critical signatures needed for MDI Transition
June 11, 2008 Dear AANMA Friends and MDI Transition Working Group Members: Please take a moment to ask your Congressional Representatives* to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter to Secretary Leavitt regarding the MDI Transition! "Full Text":http://www.er-mag.com/articles.htm Read More »

07/14/08 Foundation President & Dr. Trapnell Receive Awards
TORONTO, Canada – The American Thoracic Society (ATS) named John W. Walsh recipient of its 2008 Public Service Award at a ceremony Sunday, May 18, at the ATS international conference. Walsh is President, CEO and co-founder of the Alpha-1 Foundation and President of the COPD Foundation. Former ATS President William J. Martin II, MD, now on the Board of the Alpha-1 Foundation, presented the award. The Public Service Award has been bestowed since 1991 “on Read More »

07/14/08 DOT Rule Mandates that Airlines Must Accept Carry-On Portable Oxygen Concentrators Aboard Flights
Miami, FL – The US Department of Transportation has ruled that airlines must accept portable oxygen concentrators carried aboard by passengers, as long as those concentrators are approved by the DOT. John W. Walsh, President and CEO of the Alpha-1 Foundation and President of the COPD Foundation, welcomed the news. “This is great news for the Alpha-1 and COPD communities,” Walsh said. “Our community has put significant ef Read More »

07/14/08 Lung diseases are the fourth-leading cause of death in Florida
The average person takes more than 20,000 breaths on any given day. Imagine fighting for every one of them. That's the reality for millions of Americans with emphysema, bronchitis, asthma and other lung diseases. Though better treatments have improved many patients' lives, some of the conditions still defy modern medicine. Overall, chronic lung disease is the fourth-leading cause of death in Florida and across the nation. Symptoms usually start with a nagging cough, then grow into shortness o Read More »

05/05/08 Tribute to Gary A. Bain
h6. John W. Walsh, president of the COPD Foundation, gave the following tribute to Gary A. Bain: "The COPD Foundation and the Alpha-1 Foundation wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the family of Gary Bain. Gary was a pioneer in patient advocacy for individuals with COPD and impacted thousands of lives through his dedication and commitment as the founder of EFFORTS and all the related activities his psychosocial support, dissemination of information, and day-to-day inter-connectivity. G Read More »

05/02/08 Recognizing the week of April 7, 2008, to April 13, 2008, as 'National Public Health Week'.
110th Congress, 2nd Session In the Senate of the United States as introduced in the Senate No Official Title Given h3. SPONSOR(S): Sponsor and Cosponsors as of 04/09/2008 SANDERS, BERNARD (I-VT) - Sponsor Snowe, Olympia J. (R-ME) - Cosponsor Kerry, John F. (D-MA) - Cosponsor Clinton, Hillary (D-NY) - Cosponsor Menendez, Bob (D-NJ) - Cosponsor WHITEHOUSE, SHELDON (D-RI) - Cosponsor Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM) - Cosponsor Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) - Cosponsor Leahy, Patrick J. (D-VT) - Cosponso Read More »

04/10/08 Early Communication about an Ongoing Safety Review of Tiotropium
The manufacturer of Spiriva HandiHaler, Boehringer Ingelheim, recently informed the FDA that ongoing safety monitoring has identified a possible increased risk of stroke in patients who take this medicine. Spiriva HandiHaler contains tiotropium bromide and is used to treat bronchospasm associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Additional information is needed to further evaluate this preliminary information about stroke in patients who take Spiriva HandiHaler. "Full Text": Read More »

04/03/08 Alpha-1, COPD Foundations Sponsor Workshop on Standardizing CT Scans for COPD
Bethesda. MD – The Alpha-1 Foundation and COPD Foundation are sponsoring a workshop this week for specialists from around the world to review the state of the art in CT Scan technology and arrive at a set of recommendations for future research on COPD. The two-day workshop beginning Thursday is formally entitled “Quantitive Chest Tomography in COPD Research” and will involve both presentations and discussions by experts attending from as far aw Read More »

04/03/08 Genetic Link Tied to Smoking Addiction
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Scientists have pinpointed genetic variations that make people more likely to get hooked on cigarettes and more prone to develop lung cancer - a finding that could someday lead to screening tests and customized treatments for smokers trying to kick the habit. "Full Text":http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/S/SMOKERS_GENES?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-04-02-19-04-24 Read More »

03/11/08 Six Killers
On November 29, 2007, the New York Times published an article about the "Six Killers": the leading causes of illness and death in the United States today. These are heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, in that order. And they have a lot in common. They are expensive. Together, they account for 25 percent of the nation's annual health care expenditures, said Jonathan Skinner, a health economist at Dartmouth College. They come in Read More »

03/11/08 Q&A: John Walsh
MIAMI – As president of the COPD Foundation, John Walsh knows a thing or two about this growing and crippling disease. At 57, he’s lived with Alpha-1, a hereditary condition that causes COPD, for 17 years. In November, the foundation partnered with Dey Laboratories to help the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute raise public awareness of COPD. “Most COPD is caused by smoking, and we’re trying to shift from the shame Read More »

03/11/08 From Smoking Boom, a Major Killer of Women
For Jean Rommes, the crisis came five years ago, on a Monday morning when she had planned to go to work but wound up in the hospital, barely able to breathe. She was 59, the president of a small company in Iowa. Although she had quit smoking a decade earlier, 30 years of cigarettes had taken their toll. "*Full Text*":http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/health/29lung.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin Read More »

02/12/08 Enhancing COPD Management in Primary Care Settings
*Context* Primary care physicians provide care for the majority of patients with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although clinical practice guidelines have been developed for COPD, their influence on primary care practice is unclear. *Objective* To examine primary care decision making, perceptions, and educational needs relating to COPD. *Design* A survey centered on COPD case-vignettes was developed and distributed to a random sample of physicians in adult pr Read More »

02/11/08 ACTION ALERT! Regulatory Rulemaking will impact availability of Combivent
The FDA is reviewing the "essential use" designation for seven Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI'S) drugs which they suggest should be phased out by December of 2009. An FDA hearing took place August 2007 and the deadline to submit comments for this federal rule has been extended to September 30, 2007. "*Full Text*":http://www.yourlunghealth.org/headlines/2007/08/combivent/ Read More »

02/11/08 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Growing but Neglected Global Epidemic
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major and increasing global health epidemic that has received insufficient attention from the health-care profession, governments, and the pharmaceutical industry. Urgent action is now required to recognize the disease, predicted to soon become one of the major causes of death and disability, and to develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies. "*Full Text*":http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10 Read More »