How Does Your State Stack Up When it Comes to COPD?By Jennifer NelsonDid you know the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers fact sheets on COPD for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico?Each fact sheet includes a table listing the reported prevalence of COPD among adults in the state or territory by age, race/ethnicity, sex, employment status, education level, household income, marital status, smoking status and asthma history. The fact sheets are available via an interactive map on the CDC site.If you’ve been diagnosed with COPD, it may be helpful to know ... Read More

COPD Isn’t Holding These Two Cyclists BackBy Marygrace TaylorBeing diagnosed with COPD doesn’t mean you have to spend your life on the sidelines. Just ask cyclist Mark Junge. He’s lived with COPD for more than a decade—but hasn’t let it stop him from conquering the world on two wheels. After being told in 2003 he had COPD, “I was sitting in the recliner with my remote thinking, Is this what I’m going to make of my life?“ says 72-year-old Junge. Knowing he’d feel happier and healthier if he were active, Junge began spending hours at the local YMCA on a stationary bike. Then, ... Read More

In Search of Sleep: Experts Recommend Lifestyle Changes Over Sleeping Pills By Linda Childers If you have problems falling or staying asleep, you’re not alone. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, each night millions of people in the United States spend the night tossing and turning. While it may be tempting to reach for a sleeping pill to ensure slumber, medical experts recommend using caution. A medical study released in September 2014showed that using benzodiazepine, a drug class used to treat anxiety and insomnia (and found in medications including Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Ambien) of three months ... Read More