In November, remember Alzheimer's Disease, Diabetes, Hospice, COPD, and more

Here's a brief summary of the various health/disease awareness topics for the month of November:

• American Diabetes Month
• COPD Awareness Month
• Diabetic Eye Disease Month
• Lung Cancer Awareness Month
• National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
• National Family Caregivers Month
• National Healthy Skin Month
• National Hospice Palliative Care Month
• National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
• Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
• Get Smart About Antibiotics Week
• Great American Smokeout
• International Survivors of Suicide Day
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Awareness Week

Learn more about these topics from the National Health Information Center here.

Ultrasound-based cough detector

iSonea Issued U.S. Patent for Cough Detector to Diagnose Respiratory Conditions

Severna Park, MD — March 14, 2012 — Medical technology company iSonea Ltd. (ASX: ISN; OTCQX: ISOAY) today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. Patent 2009/0216127 A1 covering its cough count technology in the field of acoustic monitoring of respiratory diseases.

Leveraging the company’s proprietary Acoustic Respiratory Monitoring™ (ARM) technology, the patent covers the ultrasound-based cough detector that fits against a patient’s neck and automatically detects coughs and counts coughing events. The sensors on the device can detect high and low frequency mechanical vibrations in the tracheal area. The device senses coughing events, tracks their severity and duration, and stores that data or sends it wirelessly to a computer or other log.

Updated COPD guidelines from the ACP, ACCP, ATS, and ERS

We now have updated COPD guidelines this year:

Diagnosis and Management of Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Clinical Practice Guideline Update from the American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society, and European Respiratory Society

Description: This guideline is an official statement of the American College of Physicians (ACP), American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), American Thoracic Society (ATS), and European Respiratory Society (ERS). It represents an update of the 2007 ACP clinical practice guideline on diagnosis and management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is intended for clinicians who manage patients with COPD. This guideline addresses the value of history and physical examination for predicting airflow obstruction; the value of spirometry for screening or diagnosis of COPD; and COPD management strategies, specifically evaluation of various inhaled therapies (anticholinergics, long-acting β-agonists, and corticosteroids), pulmonary rehabilitation programs, and supplemental oxygen therapy.

FDA approves Arcapta Neohaler to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Arcapta Neohaler (indacaterol inhalation powder) for the long term, once-daily maintenance bronchodilator treatment of airflow obstruction in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema.

Inhalers that use CFCs will be phased out

Seven Inhalers That Use CFCs Being Phased Out

On April 13, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that seven metered dose inhalers that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are being phased out in the United States.

• Tilade Inhaler (nedocromil), made by King Pharmaceuticals, last date for sale: June 14, 2010
• Alupent Inhalation Aerosol (metaproterenol), made by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, last date for sale: June 14, 2010
• Azmacort Inhalation Aerosol (triamcinolone), made by Abbott Laboratories, last date for sale: Dec. 31, 2010
• Intal Inhaler (cromolyn), made by King Pharmaceuticals, last date for sale: Dec. 31, 2010
• Aerobid Inhaler System (flunisolide), made by Forest Laboratories, last date for sale: June 30, 2011
• Combivent Inhalation Aerosol (albuterol and ipratropium in combination), made by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, last date for sale: Dec. 31, 2013
• Maxair Autohaler (pirbuterol), made by Graceway Pharmaceuticals, last date for sale: Dec. 31, 2013

These medications are used for the treatment of asthma or COPD. Speaking of COPD, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) just released an article titled, "Outpatient Management of Severe COPD." You won't want to miss that one.

You can learn more inhalers being phased out here.

Future of CDHP

I was having a discussion the other day about the future of consumer-directed (or driven) health plans (CDHP). We live in a world where managed care dominates the healthcare industry. Under this new administration, many things in the healthcare system will change. Some are talking about universal health coverage. Will that be like the VA (Veterans Affairs) system? Will be turn into Canada? No one seems to know the answers to these questions, but one thing is clear: we need to reduce healthcare costs and also improve disease management.

I personally believe that technology will help patients with disease self-management. If we look at some of the conditions that burden the healthcare system, they would include things such as: diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, COPD, asthma, and many others. Patients who have any of these conditions must be very active in caring for their conditions. They must adhere to their medication regimen. They must follow-up appropriately with their healthcare providers. The use of modern technology is improving the care of some of these conditions. Glucose monitors and insulin pumps are becoming more sophisticated. Cardiac devices are saving lives at home. Home monitoring devices are improving care for millions of patients. Patients are receiving education through the Internet (although they're also getting misinformation).

Well, I've obviously gone on a tangent, but I will return to this topic of CDHP in a later post.

Symbicort is now FDA approved for COPD

The FDA has approved the use of Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol) for the treatment of COPD. Symbicort is a combination inhaler that was originally approved for the treatment of asthma and is manufactured by AstraZeneca. Like many other new drugs, it has been available in Europe for a while now.