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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2004)
Page A8 JJnrtlanh (Dbaeruer March 17,2004 Study Cites Sickle Cell Breakthrough New therapy may help patients live longer, healthier (A P )— A rare, deadly lung condi tion issocom m on among people with sickle cell anem ia that testing for and treating it could help many patients live longer, healthier lives, a study found. Experts called the study a major advance in the fight against sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that affects 70,000 to 1 (X),(XX) A m eri cans. “The paper will change the stan dard o f care for sickle cell patients across the country,” said Dr. Clint Joiner, director o f the sickle cell center at the Cincinnati C hildren's Hospital M edical Center. O ne-third o f sickle cell patients have the lung c o n d itio n , w hich m akes them 10 tim es m ore likely to die w ithin 18 m onths, d o cto rs at the N ational Institutes o f H ealth and H o w ard U n iv e rsity re p o rte d in T h u rsd a y ’s N ew E ngland Journal o f M edicine. Doctors must now find the best ways to treat sickle cell patients who also have pulm onary hypertension. or high blood pressure in the lungs. It isacondition in which narrowed, thick ened blood vessels in the lungs keep the body from getting enough oxy gen. Researchers do not know if pulm o nary hypertension caused the increase in deaths am ong the 195 patients they studied, or was a sign o f severe sickle cell disease. But it was present in 63 patients, or 32 percent. All 195 were in stable condition at the start. W ithin 18 m onths, nearly 20 percent o f those with both conditions were dead, com pared to few er than 2 percent o f those w ithout pulm onary hypertension. The num bers indicate that patients with sickle cell disease should be tested for pulm onary hypertension, said Dr. M ark T. G ladw in o f the N a tional Institutes o f H ealth, lead re searcher for the study. "If they have high blood pressure in the lungs, they should intensify their therapy. And consider treatm ent with drugs to low er blood pressure in the lungs,” he said. Sickle cell disease, w hich mostly affects blacks, used to be a childhood death sentence. Now, h alf o f all p a tients make it past the age o f 50, and doctors are learning w hat the disease does to the older body. / ■ ? Vie, 1 Children’s Emergency Unit Opens 4/ex Jackson, assistant administrator at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, holds his son, Owen, while chatting with Dr. Dan Hull, medical director of the newly opened 13-bed children's unit in the Emergency Department of the hospital. Kidney Disease is ‘Silent Killer (A P)— Health officials may have have no clue about how to pre- they have a problem . T h at’s why an uphill battle in educating Afri- vent kidney disease, it’s so im portant to control diabe can A m ericans about a disease “ K idney disease is a silent tes and high blood pressure and th a t’s being called a “silent w ---------- — -----------------------— have your blood and urine killer,” a survey shows regularly tested ... once K idney disease is an ill you know you are at risk.” ness th a t's becom e more T he m ajor risk factors prevalent, especially in the for kidney disease include nation’s black population, diabetes, high blood pres but a survey conducted in sure or a blood relative Jackson, Atlanta, Baltimore with the disease. and C leveland show s only “T he beautiful thing is 15 percent o f those sur that if we can control blood veyed thought they were at pressure and diabetes, it’s risk for getting the disease. — Dr. John Bower a good possibility that we Dr. John Bower, form er ■ " can do som ething (about chief o f nephrology at the Univer- killer,” Bower said. “People find kidney disease),” Bow er said. sity o f M ississippi M edical Center, themselves in the emergency room, said the survey show s most people on dialysis, before they even know Kidney disease is a silent killer. People find themselves in the emergency room, on dialysis, before they even know they have a problem **A II classes are free of charge! African American Health Coalition, Inc. Presents for your health, Wellness W ithin REACH Activity Calendar Aerobics Mallory Ave. Christian Church Eilate? M att Dishman Hon, Wed, fri, 6-7am, P ie r« • 5:3O-6:2Opm, Granville • 6:JO-7:3Opm, Nickerson Hon, 12:1 S-1:1 Spm, Jenkins Humboldt Elementary Sirgtching/Body Sculpting Tue. Thu, 6-7pm, Keller (CI jss courtesy of M itt Dishmm) L qw Im p a c t A erobics Tue, Thu. 7-8am. Lois M att Dishman New Front in Health Care Disparities Battle Center to conduct culturally competent research The Northwest Center for Health Disparities Research is a new front in providing health care for racial, ethnic and underserved communities. The Portland center has joined com m unity-based agencies, foundations, academic institu tions, local and state public health agencies and health care systems with the mission of de veloping culturally competent research. Corliss McKeever, president of the African American Health Coalition, is the program’s co director. N u m erous stu d ie s have shown key health disparities by race, ethnicity, sexually ori entation and disability. The most striking health disparities involve shorter live expect ancy among racial m inorities and the poor, and higher rates o f cancer, birth defects, infant m ortality, asthm a, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV and violence. Daniel’s Memorial Church Tue, 7:15-8:15pm. Granville Walking Group Peninsula Park W ate r Aerobics (Contact AAHC) Salvation Arm y M att Dishman Sat, 12:30pm, Woods A fric an Dance 6 Corliss McKeever of the African American Health Coalition The center, still in its plan ning stages, doesn’t have a p a rticu la r focus under the um brella o f addressing health d is p a r itie s , a c c o rd in g to Nancy Glass, co-director of the center. “We have experts in car diovascular health, violence against women, infant m ortal ity and diabetes. W e’re trying to bring those together in a targeted strategy,” said Glass. “ We think we can reduce health disparities and eventu ally eliminate them if we focus on the strength of the com m u nity.” The center’s staff is plan ning to teach strategies to re duce violence against women. Some other goals for the next year include establishing monthly comm unity and aca demic research seminars about health disparities, establishing statewide research initiatives with racial and ethnic m inori ties and the underserved com m unity, and ag encies that serve them and a submission of at least two comm unity and academic health disparities re search grant applications. W eight Mgnt./Conditioning U. of Portland Indoor Track TALK RADIO Tue, Thu, 9 - 1 Oam, Hasan M att Dishman Sat, 10-1 lam , Addo You Body Conditioning W ild Oats Market Tue, Thu, 7:3O-8:3Opm, O’Rourke w it h W eekdays 7:30 -9 am REAL PEOPLE FROM YOIJR W ild Oats Market COMMUNITY Sat, 9 :3 0 -10:30am, Nickerson D » « r $ Memorai Churck 1234 NE Killmpworth Hatt Dishman. 77 NE Knott (12th & Killmgjworth) Pemnsub Pirit. 700 N Portland H m b o tft Elementary, 4915 N Gantenbein Salvation Army. 5325 N Williams H tik ry Avenue O ran en O u rd i (Gym). 126 NE Ü. of Portend In d o « Trade 500 N Willamette Alberta Wild Oats Harket. 3535 NE 15th R&B, SOUL & W eekdays 7 -9 pm HIP HOP JAZZ, AFROTAINMENT, HIP HOP & MORE “ Hu$t be 21 or older to participate. Please contact AAHC before showing up to the tint class and lor more information at SO3-4I3-II5O or kdempseyOaahc-portland.org. Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise clast. S aturdays 4 - 1 1 pm l U a l a l and e th n ic A p a r e a d m e I « C o m m u n ity H e a lth A Praoram ot the A iu ta r American Health Coalition inc •noneored by » . Canter, h r O U e .w Contrai end hrevenoor (COC) C all Contid AAHC at 503-413-1150 * viat our w A site t f www.aahc-pertand.erg Advertise with d iv e r s ity in 503-231-8032 DJ! 503-231-8187 O ffice : C ommunity R adio lîl" ^ L ld rtk u tb (OllSCrllCf Call 503-288-0033 the W W W .KB00.FM adsU'! pt n i l.iiu lt »h sci ver.c< >m
