Asthma Asthma Hold Her Back New Guidelines, Meds, and Action Plans
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Trusted Health Information from the National Institutes of Health Fall 2007 NIHMedlinePlusthe magazine Easing Chronic Pain Better treatments and medications Medicine in Outer Space Space-based medical research is bringing benefits to all Americans Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease The risk factors and the ongoing efforts to treat and cure AD Wynonna Judd never lets Controlling her asthma Asthma hold her back New guidelines, meds, and action plans A publication of the NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH and the FRIENDS of the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE Photos: Bill Branson, NLM Bill Branson, Photos: Encouraging future medical Helping the Library Reach Out to the Future researchers: (l-r) NLM Director Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg explaining n behalf of the Friends of the National Library of Medicine (FNLM), welcome to a medical exhibit; some of the 500 the Fall 2007 issue of NIH MedlinePlus magazine. We take pride in bringing you New York City science students attending the most up-to-date and trustworthy information you need to keep you and your the NLM outreach day; NLM Deputy family healthy. In the pages that follow, you’ll find the latest advice and research Ofindings direct from the scientists and medical experts who work for you at the world’s Director Dr. Donald West King and leading medical and health research organization, the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Henry W. Foster discussing the The FNLM is also working to promote and expand the availability of other terrific work day’s activities. carried out by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to improve the health of Americans. One such program is helping to recruit the next generation of top medical researchers. Earlier this year, thanks to the Library, 500 New York City high school science students spent the day with some of the nation’s top scientists and medical doctors, learning about the latest advances in research on organ transplants. Afterwards, the students asked questions and explored exhibits featuring artificial body parts and recent examples of medical breakthroughs. They saw and touched heart stents, pacemakers, oxygenators (old and new), a coronary artery bypass graft, and hearing aids (old and new). For these kids, it was an experience they won’t soon forget. This session at New York University School of Medicine was part of a series of presentations sponsored by the Library across the nation. They are aimed at getting young people excited about careers in medical research. One of these school children could be the one to find a cure for cancer or make a similar contribution to our nation’s health. That is why we need your help to bring programs like this to thousands of additional school children across America. To join us in this effort, contact FNLM at the address below—and help the Friends support the greatest medical library in the world. Sincerely, Paul G. Rogers, Chairman Friends of the National Library of Medicine How You Can Help the Library Extend Medical Knowledge You can be a part of the Friends’ mission to help educate best online medical library, www.medlineplus.gov. the health, corporate, and public communities about For more information, please visit www.fnlm.org or NIH’s many vital research initiatives. call (202) 719-8094. Written correspondence may be If you or your company can help to support and ex- sent to FNLM, 2801 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. pand the Library’s efforts by providing sponsorship and other charitable donations for NIH MedlinePlus magazine’s The FNLM is classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit publication and distribution, many more thousands of organization for federal tax purposes. Americans will gain valuable, free access to the world’s NIH MedlinePlus ® contents Volume 2 Number 3 Fall 2007 the magazine NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE at the NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 8600 Rockville Pike • Bethesda, MD 20894 www.nlm.nih.gov www.medlineplus.gov Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D. Director, NLM Betsy L. Humphreys, M.L.S., A.H.I.P. Deputy Director, NLM Donald West King, M.D. Deputy Director for Research and Education, NLM Kathleen Cravedi Deputy Director, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, NLM 4 Photos: Bill Branson, NLM Bill Branson, Photos: Elliot Siegel, Ph.D. Associate Director for Health Information Programs Development, NLM Inside Front Letter from Friends of the NLM Naomi Miller, M.L.S. Cover Manager of Consumer Health Information, NLM Chairman Paul G. Rogers Patricia Carson Special Assistant to the Director, NLM Christopher Klose 2 From the Director: Elias Zerhouni, M.D. Magazine Coordinator Peter Reinecke Strategic Advisor, NLM 4 Space: The New Medical Frontier 8 Understanding Alzheimer’s 12-19 Special Section Paul G. Rogers Controlling Asthma Chairman, Friends of the National Library of Medicine (FNLM) Kathy White 20 Easing Chronic Pain Co-Chair, Corporate & Annual Event Fundraising Development Committee FNLM Board of Directors (If you are interested in providing a sponsorship or other charitable donation 24 Then & Now: Medical to support and extend the reach of this publication, please contact Kathy White at (336) 547-8970, x 3327 or [email protected]) Research Pays Off Friends of the NLM for All Americans 2801 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 26 Healthlines from NIH NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Editorial Board Don Detmer, M.D. • Jordan Cohen, M.D. • The Hon. Paul G. Rogers Jay Sanders, M.D. • Barbara Redman, Ph.D. • Roger Bulger, M.D. 28 Drug Facts Chat Day Kenneth Forde, M.D. • Leslie Kuhn, M.D. 12-19 29 NIH Quickfinder and NIH MedlinePlus Selby Bateman, Ginny Gaylor, Managing Editors Advisory Group Jan McLean, Creative Director Traci Marsh, Production Director NIH MedlinePlus, the Magazine is published by Vitality Communications 407 Norwalk St. Greensboro, NC 27407 (336) 547-8970 William G. Moore, President Pat Blake, Controller Pat Schrader, Administrative Assistant Articles in this publication are written by professional journalists. All scientific and medical information is reviewed for accuracy by representatives of the National Institutes of Health. However, personal decisions regarding health, finance, exercise, and other matters should be made only after consultation with the reader’s physician or professional advisor. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the National Library of Medicine. Photos without credit lines are provided by NIH. 28 www.medlineplus.gov Fall 2007 1 FROM THE DIRECTOR The Joy of Science, the Courage of Research NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni meets frequently with young researchers to help promote their interest in vital medical research. Photo: Bill Branson NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni recently spoke to a gathering of young researchers about the importance of good scientific research for the future of our world. We are entering a new era of medicine, noted Dr. Zerhouni, one that combines an appreciation of biological complexity with the fearless search for scientific knowledge. 2 Fall 2007 NIH MedlinePlus Opportunities Abound Follow Columbus There has never been a more exciting era in science, and the I prefer the Christopher Columbus discovery model. Like opportunities are enormous. Medicine is moving from the curative Columbus and the known world in 1492, everyone today at the model of the last 5,000 years, in which symptoms are obvious, loss edge of science is in the dark. Success depends more on how the of function is clear, and intervention too late. We are now moving problems are defined, rather than on what solutions are reached. toward a more preemptive model, one that integrates quantitative When Columbus went to Queen Isabella, he didn’t ask for the The Joy of Science, techniques for greater understanding of the complexity of biological moon. He just said he thought he had a new way of going to India systems. and wanted a couple of ships to get there. Similarly, the scientific The one thing that has driven my own scientific life is marrying investigator should say, “I have an idea. Could you fund me even if I quantitative information with biological systems—creating don’t know if I can get there?” measurable parameters that give insight into biology. Science is not Like Columbus, the researcher might miss India—but hit upon a the Courage of Research a game of abstract insight divorced from the physical realities of whole new world of potential knowledge to exploit. measurement, nor is it just technologies in search of solutions. You cannot do science with bad technologies and bad methodologies. No “One-Size-Fits-All” Scientist Today, we realize there is much greater biological complexity In every scientific exploration, there is not a one-size-fits-all than anybody thought possible 30 years ago. Back then, for scientist. Some of us have a nose for discovery, and are the pioneers. example, researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) looked Others explore lands already visited but uncover new discoveries for the magic bullet that would hit the one, two, or three molecular through a team approach. Still others become the “early settlers.” targets of cancer and cure it. That is not happening because of the They know the milestones, can sequence DNA, understand where complexity we’ve uncovered. the genes are going to be, and come to know that piece of a genome The goal now is to transform health and medicine through to an unprecedented level. discovery. So there are different ways of advancing knowledge at different levels, and one is not more meritorious than the other. It would be Cures Depend on Public Access to Information a mistake to believe the only way to be “somebody” is by being a Understanding biological complexity and how it orchestrates pioneer. normal development as well as disease is fundamentally where we are in science today.