COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
I think Sassyme posted something earlyer about this.
Attorney at Law - Feb 11, 2009
Advair, Symbicort May Boost Pneumonia Risks In COPD Patients
Advair and Symbicort, two leading brands of asthma inhalers, may increase the risk of pneumonia by up to 70 percent when used for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), new research finds.
Advair, which combines steroids with a beta-antagonist, is an asthma drug also approved for use in COPD patients. It is a top-selling drug for its maker, GlaxoSmithKline, with U.S. sales exceeding $3 billion in 2008. Symbicort is not yet approved for use in COPD patients, although it is currently under review by the FDA for that use.
COPD is a life-threatening disease which causes progressively worsening damage to the lungs and is most often seen in smokers. There is no known cure for the disease, which most often has symptoms including difficulty breathing, inflammation of the airway, and the secretion of mucus.
COPD accounts for more than 120,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the fourth-leading cause of death, and currently affects up to 24 million Americans. It is also a major health problem in other countries.
Study Finds Link to Increased Pneumonia Risk
The new study which found a link between use of Advair and Symbicort for COPD and an increased risk of pneumonia was performed by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. A report on the study was published in the Feb. 9, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
In the study, the results of clinical trials of nearly 17,000 people were examined for cases of pneumonia in people who were using inhaled corticosteroids for at least six months. Users of inhaled corticosteroids were compared to those who had used a placebo. Those people were then compared to patients who used both inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-antagonists and those who had used only the long-acting bronchodilator.
Researchers found that people taking corticosteroids, such as Advair and Symbicort, alone or in combination with bronchodilators increased their risk of developing pneumonia by 60 to 70 percent. The results mean that about one in every 47 people with COPD who uses a corticosteroid inhaler for a year is likely to develop pneumonia as a result of using the drug. However, there was no increase in the rate of death from pneumonia caused by use of the drugs, the study found.
Companies Defend Their Products
A spokeswoman for AstraZeneca, the maker of Symbicort, said company trials of the drug in people with COPD found no increase in the risk of pneumonia. The company expects FDA approval of the drug for use in COPD patients sometime in 2009.
GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Advair, also took exception to the study results showing a link to an increased risk of pneumonia in COPD patients. The company said Advair has been proven to reduce worsening of COPD symptoms by as much as 30 percent.
The risk of pneumonia in COPD patients taking Advair has been known for years and has been included in warnings on the products packaging and other materials, company officials said. Physicians should always consider the risks and benefits of any drug before prescribing it to patients, Glaxo officials said.
http://www.attorneyatlaw.com/2009/02/advair-symbicort-may-boost-pneumonia-risks-in-copd-patients/
Attorney at Law - Feb 11, 2009
Advair, Symbicort May Boost Pneumonia Risks In COPD Patients
Advair and Symbicort, two leading brands of asthma inhalers, may increase the risk of pneumonia by up to 70 percent when used for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), new research finds.
Advair, which combines steroids with a beta-antagonist, is an asthma drug also approved for use in COPD patients. It is a top-selling drug for its maker, GlaxoSmithKline, with U.S. sales exceeding $3 billion in 2008. Symbicort is not yet approved for use in COPD patients, although it is currently under review by the FDA for that use.
COPD is a life-threatening disease which causes progressively worsening damage to the lungs and is most often seen in smokers. There is no known cure for the disease, which most often has symptoms including difficulty breathing, inflammation of the airway, and the secretion of mucus.
COPD accounts for more than 120,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the fourth-leading cause of death, and currently affects up to 24 million Americans. It is also a major health problem in other countries.
Study Finds Link to Increased Pneumonia Risk
The new study which found a link between use of Advair and Symbicort for COPD and an increased risk of pneumonia was performed by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. A report on the study was published in the Feb. 9, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
In the study, the results of clinical trials of nearly 17,000 people were examined for cases of pneumonia in people who were using inhaled corticosteroids for at least six months. Users of inhaled corticosteroids were compared to those who had used a placebo. Those people were then compared to patients who used both inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-antagonists and those who had used only the long-acting bronchodilator.
Researchers found that people taking corticosteroids, such as Advair and Symbicort, alone or in combination with bronchodilators increased their risk of developing pneumonia by 60 to 70 percent. The results mean that about one in every 47 people with COPD who uses a corticosteroid inhaler for a year is likely to develop pneumonia as a result of using the drug. However, there was no increase in the rate of death from pneumonia caused by use of the drugs, the study found.
Companies Defend Their Products
A spokeswoman for AstraZeneca, the maker of Symbicort, said company trials of the drug in people with COPD found no increase in the risk of pneumonia. The company expects FDA approval of the drug for use in COPD patients sometime in 2009.
GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Advair, also took exception to the study results showing a link to an increased risk of pneumonia in COPD patients. The company said Advair has been proven to reduce worsening of COPD symptoms by as much as 30 percent.
The risk of pneumonia in COPD patients taking Advair has been known for years and has been included in warnings on the products packaging and other materials, company officials said. Physicians should always consider the risks and benefits of any drug before prescribing it to patients, Glaxo officials said.
http://www.attorneyatlaw.com/2009/02/advair-symbicort-may-boost-pneumonia-risks-in-copd-patients/
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My 6mo twin DD's are EBF and just started rice cereal on the first. Everything has been going fine except this morning one of them had a diaper rash (lots of redness around her anus). I read this as one of the signs of an allergy. BUT I did just buy a different brand diaper yesterday (which they have used randomly before w/no issues). Do you think its the cereal or the diaper? Im ready to start...
Re health checks my recent journal entry regarding Identifying Stroke. S.T.R. + tongue test.