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Publications
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Health Focus - November
2005
Your Insight to Better Health
UK HealthCare continues cutting-edge research on Parkinson’s
therapy
The
University of Kentucky Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s
Disease Research Center of Excellence has been awarded nearly $6 million
from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and
Stroke to continue work on the promising drug glial cell line-derived neurotrophic
factor (GDNF) and similar compounds. As one of
only 12 Udall centers in the nation, UK’s center represents the leading
edge of research into Parkinson’s disease, an incurable condition.
GDNF differs from other Parkinson’s therapies in that it has demonstrated
potential to halt or perhaps reverse the neurodegenerative condition. Physicians
will spend the next five years investigating potential negative effects
of GDNF and fine-tuning dosing and administration techniques to make the
therapy a safer and more viable alternative. For a free article about this
research, call 257-1000.
Irregular heart rhythms treated
The Gill Heart Institute offers electrophysiology services, including pacemakers,
ablations, defibrillators and implantable cardioverter defibrillators
(ICD). These devices allow the heart to continue
normal beating patterns. For a fact sheet on electro-physiology, or to
make an appointment at the Gill Heart Institute, call us at 257-1000.
Project addresses high rate of cancer in Kentucky
Kentucky has the fourth highest cancer mortality rate in the nation,
and the rate in Kentucky’s east and southeastern regions are
even higher than the rest of the state. The Marty Driesler Cancer Project
is dedicated to increasing
survival rates for people with deadly cancers and is composed of several
studies focusing on lung, esophageal, liver and pancreatic cancer.
In particular, the
lung cancer portion of the project partners physicians from the UK Markey
Cancer Center with area physicians to fight lung cancer in Kentucky.
By combining
efforts, physicians may be able to help increase survival rates of lung cancer
patients by diagnosing and treating the disease early. For a free fact sheet
on the Marty Driesler Cancer Project, please call 257-1000.
Stop at the clinic before traveling abroad
If your future plans include travel, the UK HealthCare Travel Clinic offers a
number of important services and is available 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday. Physicians and staff at the Travel Clinic review your travel itineraries
and immunization status and recommend vaccines and preventive measures. They
offer advice and medical resources available locally during your trip and address
specific
health risks or concerns. You will also find advice on travel health insurance
and trip preparation. Although it is important to plan at least two
weeks or more ahead to allow adequate time for vaccines to work completely, you
can also get a significant benefit from a vaccine if you visit the day of travel.
To make an appointment, please call 257-5150.
Non-invasive treatment for airway inflammation
The UK HealthCare Asthma, Allergy & Sinus Clinic is the first in Kentucky
to offer a new method of noninvasive testing for nitric oxide. In the past,
a biopsy was necessary to detect inflammation in the airway. With NIOX® (Nitric
Oxide Monitoring System), inflammation in children and adults is detected with
a simple exhalation. As the only FDA-approved machine for measuring exhaled
nitric oxide for clinical use, the NIOX machine accounts for nitric oxide in
the ambient air. Any additional nitric oxide exhaled by the patient is a marker
of inflammation. Currently, the most important benefit of the machine is to
assist physicians making clinical decisions on the appropriate amount of anti-inflammatory
medication needed as well as offering the ability to predict flare-ups or exacerbations.
For a free fact sheet on asthma, or to make an appointment at the clinic, call
257-1000.
COPD expertise
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a large group of lung
diseases that damage the lungs, making it hard to breathe. COPD is the fourth
leading cause of death in America and in Kentucky. In COPD, the airways—tubes
that carry air into and out of your lungs—are partially obstructed, making
it difficult for air to flow. Common symptoms include a cough that doesn’t
go away and coughing up mucus. Wheezing and chest tightness are also symptoms,
along with shortness of breath, especially while exercising. A spirometry test
is an easy and painless way to determine how well your lungs work and confirm
a diagnosis of COPD. UK HealthCare offers the only COPD Clinic in the state
of Kentucky. For a free fact
sheet on COPD or an appointment for diagnosis or treatment, please call 257-1000.
Do
you have a sports-related injury?
Physicians and staff at UK’s Sports
Medicine Center provide evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation and
arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery. These multidisciplinary
specialists are the
team physicians for UK Athletics, the Kentucky State
University
sports teams, the Morehead State University sport teams, the Lexington
Horsemen Arena Football team, the Fayette County public high schools
and numerous outlying county high school athletic teams. Our Sports
Medicine Center offers a walk-in clinic for those with acute injuries
occurring in the last week. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday, 7:30 -
9 a.m. For a free brochure about our clinic, call 257-1000.
See Fact Sheets >>
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