Nearly one-third of all people who smoke, believe that the risks associated with smoking  are a grand overstatement. Four out of 10 don't even know that smoking leads to emphysema.

In a Cancer Council phone survey, researchers spoke with 861 smokers. The results concluded:

• 32% of smokers polled consider the health effects of smoking to be overstated.
• 37.5 % of smokers name emphysema or COPD as being a negative health effect of smoking. This means that 72.5% had no clue.

Fiona Sharkie, executive director of QUIT Victoria says that smokers are wrong to think that they can smoke and their health not be affected by it in a major way. "Almost all smokers will get emphysema, while a quarter of all deaths from smoking are from emphysema. If smoking doesn't kill you, it will likely affect you in some other way - often in ways that can change you and your family's lives forever.

While I personally don't advocate or recommend smoking to anyone, I do have to say that part of her statement is not true. Statistics show that only about 20% of smokers (and a very small percentage of non-smokers) are diagnosed with COPD.

What can you take away from this post? First off, learn all you can about COPD. Next, if you smoke, why not make a decision to quit? You never know if you will be among the 20% who are diagnosed with chronic lung disease. If you need some help quitting, here are some handy links:

• Complete Guide to Smoking Cessation
• Quit Smoking Support in the COPD Forum
• Smoking Cessation Forum

If you live in the boonies, a new study shows that you may be at higher risk of death from COPD exacerbation than your city-living counterparts. The study, conducted by the US Veterans Affairs Office, suggests that there is a strong link between rural living and poor health outcomes. Just how did they come up with these results?

Researchers reviewed data collected from 129 VA centers on over 26,000 patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbation.  Patients from isolated rural areas had a 42% increased risk of dying from a COPD exacerbation.

If you live in an isolated rural area, here are some tips on how you can get faster treatment for a COPD exacerbation:

• Seek medical attention at the onset of your symptoms. Don't wait, it could kill you.
• Have an emergency plan in place, with someone always available to take you to the hospital at the first sign of exacerbation.
• Take measures to prevent COPD exacerbation. Prevention of COPD exacerbation is the best treatment.
• Talk to your local emergency response team to let them know you have COPD. Make sure they know how to get to your house before you have to call them in an emergency.

Do you have suggestions for better ways to get medical treatment if you live in a rural area? Please share your comments.

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According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the popular smoking cessation drug Chantix (also known as varenicline or Champix,) increases the risk of heart attack or serious heart-related problems by 72 percent compared to a placebo.

The review looked at 14 previously published studies totally over 8,200 people, most of whom were men under 45 years of age.  While an equal number of people died in each group, those who took Chantix had a higher risk of hospitalization due to heart attack or irregular heart rhythms.

A previous study revealed that Chantix increased the risk of heart attack in people who already had heart disease. The new study now says even healthy people who take Chantix may be at risk.

Click here to follow PubMed updates about this drug.

If you are using Chantix to help you quit smoking, talk to your doctor about the risks and the benefits of using this drug before you quit taking it.

For more information, read:

• Complete Guide to Chantix
• List of Stop Smoking Aids
• Chantix Testimonials

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The FDA has finally approved the Novartis bronchodilator, Indacaterol, to be used once-a-day to prevent COPD symptoms such as wheezing and dyspnea. The drug's manufacturer believes that the once-daily dosing will improve patient compliance with their medications.

Indacaterol is a long-acting beta agonist (LABA,) and as such, will carry a warning on its label similar to other drugs in its class advising patients that using a LABA may increase the risk of asthma-related death.

Bronchodilators such as Indacaterol relax the airways making it easier to breathe. Used regularly, this drug will be part of a maintenance treatment program for COPD.

To read more about Indacaterol, visit the following links:

• Once Daily Indacaterol Just as Good as Tiotropium
• Indacaterol Improves Day and Night Symptoms of COPD
• Novartis Drug Review Period Extended
  

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