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Medical Studies
Concordia Provides Speakers’ Bureau for Community Organizations
Concordia Lutheran Ministries is offering its Speakers’ Bureau for community groups and service organizations that wish to have a speaker discuss important health and senior-related issues.
Having a speaker from Concordia is free and simple to set up. Call Concordia’s Public Relations Department at (724) 352-1571 ext. 8266 and request the topic of interest. Concordia will then match the appropriate speaker to the topic. Requests should be made four weeks in advance.
Some regular topics include: Medicare, Medical Assistance, Insurance, Estate Planning, Healthy Living, CPR Certification, Pharmacy and Medication Management, Hospice, Medical Equipment Usage, Assisted Living, Rehabilitation After Surgery or Illness, Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregiving, Home Care, and more.
If there are additional topics of interest not on the list, Concordia will try to accommodate the request. For more information, call Concordia at (724) 352-1571 ext. 8266 or visit www.concordialm.org.
Concordia Hosts Alzheimer’s Support Group Meetings
Concordia Lutheran Ministries’ Adult Day Services (ADS) hosts an Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregiver Support Group meeting on the second Tuesday of every month at 2:00 p.m. in the newly remodeled ADS program area on the ground floor of the Lund Care Center at 136 Marwood Road in Cabot.
The meetings are free and open to all caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Each session covers a different topic related to caregiving. Adult care is available during the meeting.
To RSVP or receive additional information, call the Concordia director of adult day services at (724) 352-1571 ext. 8271 or visit www.concordialm.org.
Canonsburg General Hospital Kicks Off "Women & Wellness" Series
Women sometimes neglect their own health to focus on the well-being of their family. Canonsburg General Hospital is encouraging women to take time for themselves by attending a series of Women & Wellness programs.
The free sessions are moderated by gynecologist Diana Carmona-Keller, M.D., and Donald Keenan, M.D., Ph.D. and are held the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the hospital's McNary Conference Center. To register, call Physician Access at 1-877-284-2000.
Women & Wellness schedule:
January 8 - Latest Advances in Breast Imaging for the Purpose of Diagnosing Breast Cancer - William Poller, M.D. - Director/Breast Imaging Center, Allegheny General Hospital
February 5 - The Informed Patient: Shared Decision-Making and the Internet - A Breast Surgeon's Perspective - Donald Keenan, M.D., Ph.D. - Breast Surgeon, Canonsburg General Hospital
March 5 - Innovations in the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer - John Comerci, M.D., gynecological oncologist, Canonsburg General Hospital and The Western Pennsylvania Hospital
April 2 - Cosmetic Procedures - Robert Kang, M.D., plastic surgeon, West Penn Allegheny Health System
May 7 - Weight Management in the Different Stages of Life - Diana Carmona-Keller, M.D., gynecologist, Canonsburg General Hospital
June 4 - Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Reduction - Donald Keenan, M.D., Ph.D., breast surgeon, Canonsburg General Hospital
July 2 - Weight Management in the Different Stages of Life - Diana Carmona-Keller, M.D., gynecologist, Canonsburg General Hospital
August 6 - Heart Disease in Women, speaker to be determined
September 3 - Abnormal Pap Smear - Diana Carmona-Keller, M.D., gynecologist, Canonsburg General Hospital
October 1 - Breast Cancer Overview - Donald Keenan, M.D., Ph.D., breast surgeon, Canonsburg General Hospital
Beginning January 14, 2009
LOSE IT FOR LIFE THE TOTAL SOLUTION—
SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL FOR
PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS
Most weight-loss plans will help you drop a few pounds, but for how long? You deserve better. You deserve Lose It For Life, a uniquely balanced program that deals with the physical, emotional and even spiritual elements that lead to permanent weight loss.
Even if you have already experienced some success on another weight-loss program this one will give you the information and motivation you need to achieve a permanent “state of weightlessness,” which is the secret to lasting results. A cooking healthy class, group support, and a free gift certificate to one of Westminster's WROC athletic classes are included in this 13 week class.
Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at 2040 Washington Rd., Upper St. Clair, is sponsoring a Lose It For Life group that will meet weekly on Wednesdays, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., beginning January 14th. Cost: $35, includes materials.
This group will work through the DVD series plus Lose It For Life book by Steve Arterburn & Dr. Linda Mintle. Using the principles from the nationally recognized Lose It For Life Seminars, this groundbreaking book is the perfect companion to any weight-loss program.
Topics Addressed:
• Finding “weightlessness”
• Discover root causes
• Planning lifestyle changes
• Learning God’s principles
• Connecting with others
Now is your chance to join others who are looking for a life that doesn’t have to be defined by what they weigh. For more information or to register for the group, call 412-835-6630 ext. 224 or e-mail lboyd@westminster-church.org..
Monday, January 12, 2009
HEART SAVER CPR WITH AED TRAINING OFFERED
Canonsburg General Hospital will offer a HeartSaver CPR with AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Training class from 6 - 9 p.m., Monday, January 12, 2009 in the McNary Conference Center.
Instructors for this class are certified by the American Heart Association. Attendees will learn heart-saver, or adult, one-person CPR in addition to techniques for dealing with an obstructed airway, AED (automated external defibrillator) training and relief of foreign body airway obstruction. Participants will receive a two year certification after successful course completion
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
HEART SAVER CPR WITH AED TRAINING OFFERED
Canonsburg General Hospital To Present, “Understanding Emotional Eating and Finding Balance with Food”
Licensed clinical social worker Elizabeth Babcock, MSW, LCSW, BCD will present, “Understanding Emotional Eating and Finding Balance with Food” at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14 in the McNary Conference Center at Canonsburg General Hospital.
In this seminar, participants will explore why most people struggle with unhealthy urges to eat, and why diets predictably fail (it’s the diets, not you). Whether you come to participate or simply listen, this information will help you understand why you’re stuck w here you are, and what you can start doing right now to begin building the relationship you want with food. You are not alone, and there are solutions!
To register for this free program, call Physician Access at 1-877-284-2000.
February 28, 2009
Masters of the Slope
Vector Security presents the Masters of the Slopes Ski Competition for skiers 35 and over at Seven Springs Mountain Resort on February 28, to benefit Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC new building fund. Following the competition, a dinner reception will be held in the Festival Hall, including awards presentations, prize drawings, a buffet dinner, beverages, and live entertainment by Underwood.
For complete details about the event or to register, visit www.mastersoftheslopes.com or call Vector Security’s Marketing Dept. at 724-779-8800.
March 28, 2009
American Lung Association Climb Pittsburgh III
Race to the top of the Gulf Tower! Climb Pittsburgh III is a fundraising event where participants climb 38 flights of stairs in the Gulf Tower to raise money for lung disease. Challenge yourself-it's a great way to get in shape for the New Year! Registration, and a training calendar are at www.climbpittsburgh.lunginfo.org, or call 724-933-6180.
April 3-4
Farm to Table Pittsburgh: Keep it Real, Keep it Local
The annual Farm to Table conference highlights the connections that can be made between buying locally produced food, creating a healthy economy and getting the most nutrition from your food. The event is held at the David L. Lawrence convention center on April 3 & 4, 2009. Attendees will be able to speak directly to farmers and food producers and hear presentations from local experts. Other highlights include an outdoor farmers market, cooking demonstrations and children’s activities. In addition, there is a Friday Night Local Food Tasting on April 3 after the main event ends. You can learn more and buy tickets online at www.pathwayswellnessprogram.com/farm_to_table_conference.html
May 9, 2009
Health Hope Network Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Symposium
Health Hope Network (formerly Visiting Nurse Foundation) is sponsoring the third annual Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Symposium on Saturday May 9 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to mark Stroke Awareness Month. The symposium will provide stroke survivors and their caregivers with information to improve their quality of life through speakers and vendors addressing all areas of wellness: physical, emotional, cognitive and social. The symposium will take place at the Pittsburgh Embassy Suites (near the airport) and admission is $10, which includes lunch. For more information, visit www.healthhopenetwork.org or call (412) 904-3036.
MEDICAL STUDIES:
PITT PHYSICIANS CONFIRM AUTOIMMUNITY AS FACTOR IN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE:
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 28 – Pulmonary specialists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are reporting solid evidence that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an autoimmune disease in many patients. Previous speculation that COPD may have an autoimmune component has remained unproven until now. The finding, reported recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, holds particular relevance regarding possible future treatments, including a clinical trial of inhaled cyclosporine now enrolling patients at the University of Pittsburgh.
The fourth-leading cause of death and second-leading cause of disability in the United States, COPD is a lung disease commonly related to smoking that diminishes breathing capacity over time and includes conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 12 million adults have a current diagnosis of COPD, with an additional 12 million unaware that they have the disorder.
“COPD damages the lung tissue, expanding and breaking down the walls of air sacs, which hinders air flow out of the lungs and the transfer of oxygen into the blood,” said Steven R. Duncan, M.D., a senior author of the study and professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “This new work shows that in some patients with COPD, immune system antibodies attack the cells that line the airways and air sacs of the lungs called epithelial cells.”
The Pitt researchers tracked immune system antibodies in 55 smokers or former smokers (47 with COPD) compared to 21 healthy people who had never smoked. Abnormal antibodies were found in 68 percent of smokers and former smokers with COPD but in only 13 percent of former smokers without COPD and 10 percent of those who had never smoked.
“COPD is responsible for 120,000 deaths a year,” said Frank C. Sciurba, M.D., a study senior co-author, associate professor of medicine and director of Pitt’s Emphysema Research Center. “Available treatments, including inhaled bronchodilators, have little effect on disease progression. New information learned may help us to develop better treatments and perhaps even halt disease progression.”
Investigators at the Emphysema Research Center are conducting a clinical trial of an inhaled form of cyclosporine, long used to suppress the immune system in transplant patients. “We are working every day to increase awareness of the disease and find new ways to help our patients,” added Dr. Sciurba.
Symptoms of COPD include a recurring cough, sometimes underestimated as “smoker’s cough,” wheezing, shortness of breath, overproduction of sputum and inability to breathe deeply. The most important step patients can take to reduce the risk of developing COPD or slow progression of the disease is to quit smoking.
“We expect to see increasing numbers of patients with COPD in the Pittsburgh area since our smoking rates – some 25 percent – are higher than elsewhere in the United States,” said Dr. Sciurba.
Patients with more severe COPD interested in additional information on these research findings and the inhaled cyclosporine trial may call the Emphysema Research Center at (412) 692-4800. For a copy of the paper, call Michele Baum at (412) 647-3555.
For information on the Pittsburgh International Lung Conference, follow this link: https://ccehs.upmc.edu/courses/brochure_1248.pdf
CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDIES:
Do you have asthma?
If so, you could help us improve the quality of life of other patients suffering from this condition.
The Asthma & Allergic Diseases Clinical Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh needs people ages 18 and up to participate in various research studies on asthma.
You may be eligible to participate in research studies and receive study related medications and/or medical evaluations specific to asthma. If you quality, you may be compensated for your time and travel.
For more information, call the Asthma & Allergic Diseases Clinical Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh
Toll Free at 1-866-804-5278.
STUDIES:
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