plus 3 more, “Asthma plus traffic equals poor lung function - The Province” |
- Asthma plus traffic equals poor lung function - The Province
- Mike Kepka / The Chronicle - San Francisco Chronicle
- The Buteyko Breathing Clinic in Minneapolis Extends Its ... - PR.com
- Health-care reform foes still getting it wrong - Delaware County Daily Times
| Asthma plus traffic equals poor lung function - The Province Posted: 31 Mar 2010 03:07 AM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a new study appear to expand the link between traffic exposure and poor lung function among people with asthma. In a study of 176 adults with asthma or rhinitis, Dr. John R. Balmes, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues found "the closer adults with asthma live to roadways with heavy traffic...the lower their lung function." "Living close to any road was associated with lower lung function," Balmes told Reuters Health. Other studies have shown lung health effects from major roadways, Balmes and colleagues note in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. "Ours is the first to show evidence that living near any road can do so," said Balmes. He and colleagues therefore advise asthma patients minimize their traffic exposures. The researchers assessed lung function and quality of life measures among the 176 adults (71 percent female) who were about 43 years old, on average, and undergoing treatment for chronic asthma with rhinitis (145 individuals) or rhinitis alone (31 individuals). The groups had similar proportions of current and former smokers. Balmes' team found out how close each participant lived to the nearest roadway using road-location data provided by geographic information systems. They then compared lung function with the distance from a roadway of any type. Those living the closest to a roadway had the lowest lung function (forced expiratory volume of 81.5 percent) while those living the farthest from a roadway had the highest lung function (forced expiratory volume of 89.7 percent). Excluding individuals with rhinitis alone, factoring in the effects of lower socioeconomic status, smoking, and obesity, did not significantly alter the findings. However, the researchers found no association between traffic exposure and quality of life measures. The investigators highlight the need for further confirmation of these findings, as well as continued research into the mechanisms by which traffic emissions impact lung function. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mike Kepka / The Chronicle - San Francisco Chronicle Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:38 AM PDT A flap between the federal government and some health insurers over a provision in the new health care law that will require them to cover children with pre-existing conditions offered an early look into difficulties of interpreting the complex legislation. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, sent a letter Monday to the industry's main trade group warning insurers that they won't be able to deny children access to their parents' coverage starting in September after insurers questioned whether they had to sell insurance this year to families with health problems. The trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans, responded to the secretary Tuesday, saying insurers "recognize the significant hardship a family faces when they are unable to obtain coverage for a child with a pre-existing condition" and will "fully comply" with the new rules. While that may have resolved the immediate misinterpretation problem, other ambiguities remain such as whether insurers would be able to charge higher premiums, as they do now, for children with conditions like asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis or other conditions. More questions remainSebelius acknowledged questions remain, telling insurers that she planned to issue regulations in the coming weeks to clarify some issues. These clarifications couldn't come soon enough for parents concerned about getting or keeping health coverage for their children. When Gladys Soto lost her job last year, she looked into getting individual coverage for her family. But she quickly discovered her 4-year-old son's asthma diagnosis would make such coverage prohibitively expensive. Soto of San Francisco was able to continue on her former employer's health insurance, paying a rate subsidized by the federal government as part of the stimulus bill passed a year ago. The plan covers her and her two children, William and Giovanna, 11. Still, she was relieved to hear her children would not be denied coverage in the future for individual policies under the new law. "It's so easy to have pre-existing conditions. Almost everyone has some pre-existing condition," she said. "Once you lose your insurance, you're at the mercy of God. You don't know how you're going to pay the bills if one of your family members gets sick." It's unclear whether insurers will be able to charge higher premiums to families who have children with pre-existing conditions because that has not yet been clarified, said Kelly Hardy, director of health policy for Children Now, a national nonprofit advocacy group based in Oakland. Looking to 2014But Hardy said the number of additional children with health conditions being covered should not overwhelm insurers because most children are healthy. "Because the insurance companies are getting all of these new customers and are getting the individual mandate so even healthy people will be required to buy insurance, the numbers should work out for them without having to charge more for people with pre-existing conditions," she said. The mandate in the new health law that most Americans have coverage doesn't kick in until 2014, the same year that insurers will no longer be allowed to deny coverage for adults based on their pre-existing conditions or charge higher premiums to people with poor health histories. When Bronte Abraham of Menlo Park started calling insurers about applying for individual coverage for a family, she was rejected over the phone by virtually all carriers because her 10-year-old son has autism. After submitting detailed applications to two insurers, she was able to get insurance through Anthem Blue Cross - but the company set the premium for her son with autism at nearly twice the rate as his 3-year-old brother. Still, she considered that lucky. "This is the only option we had in the individual market," she said. Abraham was pleased by the upcoming promise of guaranteed coverage for children. "In this economy, when people are losing jobs and switching jobs left and right, it really does give flexibility and peace of mind, at least for your kids," she said. E-mail Victoria Colliver at vcolliver@sfchronicle.com. This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| The Buteyko Breathing Clinic in Minneapolis Extends Its ... - PR.com Posted: 23 Mar 2010 11:55 PM PDT Minneapolis, MN, March 24, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The right balance between conventional and complimentary treatment options is key to the successful management of any chronic health condition, including asthma. The Buteyko Breathing Clinic in Minneapolis is an educational service founded to help breathing sufferers take control of their respiratory health naturally and permanently. It offers drug-free, clinically-proven, breathing retraining programs for conditions such as asthma, allergies, snoring, sleep apnea, chronic nasal congestion, rhinitis and other breathing-related disorders. The Buteyko Method, named by its creator, Russian Professor of Medicine K.P. Buteyko, states that asthma and a number of other chronic health conditions originate from a commonly-overlooked problem of Chronic Hyperventilation (chronic over-breathing). Unlike other breathing techniques, The Buteyko Method is not just a series of breathing exercises but rather a comprehensive wellness program aimed at correcting dysfunctional breathing and encouraging a healthier lifestyle. Among all other natural asthma treatments, The Buteyko Method has been more clinically studied and has received more widespread recognition among health professionals worldwide. The Buteyko Method has been demonstrated as an effective treatment in a number of clinical trials. Citing Dr. Robert Cowie of Calgary, Canada, who led the Buteyko clinical study in Calgary "It's just great...75% control is about as good as anyone has got in any study of asthma. The neat thing about it is that it has no side effects. It's very safe. The Buteyko technique certainly has been shown to be an important adjunct to treatment." The Buteyko therapy is completely safe when taught by a qualified Buteyko Educator, and a typical course offered by the Buteyko Breathing Clinic in Minneapolis is a three-hour workshop once a week for three consecutive weeks. Classes are taught in small groups to ensure individual attention. A student can choose to attend a refresher course free of charge within the next twelve months. One year free support to monitor student's progress is included. During a Buteyko course, the participants learn how to control asthma symptoms naturally, how to unblock and clear the nose, the best diet to improve breathing, a healthy way to sleep, and safe and effective ways to exercise in order to achieve long-term asthma control. For people with chronic conditions, an additional benefit of learning the Buteyko Breathing Method is a significant cost reduction that's reflected in less need for medication, devices, ER and doctor visits, as well as missed work days. There is only one Buteyko educational practice in Minneapolis - St.Paul area, and the Buteyko Clinic's mission is to make the Buteyko Therapy accessible and affordable for everyone. Newly added Buteyko services include, but are not limited to, online courses, private lessons, accelerated workshops for those traveling out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and monthly online support. In addition to continuously held Buteyko Method workshops, The Buteyko Breathing Clinic in Minneapolis offers Buteyko wellness school and athletic programs, free lectures and seminars for educational institutions and businesses, and volunteer services for charitable health-crisis organizations. For details about their programs, visit the Butyeko Clinic USA website www.asthmacare.us To contract them directly, send an Email to info@asthmacare.us or call 612 337-9075 ### Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Health-care reform foes still getting it wrong - Delaware County Daily Times Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:53 AM PDT More than a week after President Barack Obama made history by signing into law a much-overdue health-care reform bill, the sour grapes are still being spewed by his political foes.
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