Medical News Summary: More to smoking than just cancer

About: More to smoking than just cancer
Date: 18 August 2005
Source: CBS News
Medical News Summary (summary of medical news story as reported by CBS
News): Tobacco has been commonly linked with cancer and cardiovascular
disease, but there is also increased risk of other diseases such as
lupus erythematosus, Grave's disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA),
erectile dysfunction, obstructive sleep apnea, gastro-esophageal
reflux disease (GERD), and Alzheimer's disease. Autoimmune conditions,
such as lupus, Grave's disease and RA, occur when the defence cells of
the body recognize and attack itself, resulting in pain and
inflammation.
URL: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/18/earlyshow/health/health_news/main78453
2.shtml
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/11/1202

Smokers have an increased incidence of rheumatoid factor (RF) and
rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

http://lup.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/15/11/737
http://ard.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/56/8/463

C. DEIGHTON
Smoke gets in your joints?
Ann Rheum Dis, August 1, 1997; 56(8): 453 - 454.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://cureresearch.com/a/autoimmune_hemolytic_anemia/underly.htm

Misdiagnosis of Underlying Causes of Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
About underlying conditions: With a diagnosis of Autoimmune Hemolytic
Anemia, it is important to consider whether there is an underlying
condition causing Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. These are other medical
conditions that may possibly cause Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. For
general information on this form of misdiagnosis, see Underlying
Condition Misdiagnosis or Overview of Misdiagnosis

Underlying conditions list: The list of possible underlying conditions
mentioned in various sources for Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
includes:

Lymphoproliferative disorders
Lymphoma
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Systemic lupus erythematosis
Certain autoimmune disorders
Ovarian tumor
Certain chronic inflammatory disorders
Acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection
Infectious mononucleosis
Certain infections
Lymphoreticular cancers
Certain viruses
Syphilis
drug-induced hemolytic anemia

Underlying Condition Misdiagnosis
An underlying condition is a second condition that you may have in
addition to the first diagnosed condition, and this underlying
condition is believed to cause the first condition. In this case, the
underlying condition is the true primary condition, since it occurred
first, and the originally diagnosed condition is actually called the
"secondary" condition.

Example: Hemochromatosis underlying diabetes: For example, most people
diagnosed with diabetes have only that disease, but in a small
percentage the diabetes is actually caused by a second underly
condition called hemochromatosis. The hemochromatosis is called the
underlying condition, and the diabetes is actually called secondary
diabetes, because the real primary condition is hemochromatosis and
the diabetes is a secondary complication of the primary disease.

Example: Metabolic syndrome or PCOS underlying obesity: As another
example, people who have the condition of obesity or being overweight
might simply have poor lifestyle habits. On the other hand, they might
have an underlying condition such as metabolic syndrome or polycystic
ovary syndrome (women only).

Misdiagnosis of underlying conditions: Failure to diagnose an
underlying condition is a reasonably common occurrence and represents
a partial misdiagnosis. In some cases, the misdiagnosis is critically
important (hemochromatosis-caused diabetes is curable), and in other
cases it is less so: a full diagnosis of underlying metabolic syndrome
does not necessarily help treat obesity, though it makes it more
important to watch out for other conditions and risk factors for heart
disease.

In a sense, the issue of underlying conditions is really just a
generalization of the disease-symptom pattern. The underlying
condition has the first disease as one of its symptoms or
complications.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Vol. 146 No. 7, July 1, 1986
Hypereosinophilic syndrome associated with polycythemia vera
D. Varon, M. Wetzler and A. Berrebi

A 60-year-old woman presented with relapse of polycythemia vera
associated with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) with abnormal
immunologic measures, including increased serum IgE and IgG levels,
high levels of circulating immune complexes, rheumatoid factor, and
antinuclear antibodies. Treatment with hydroxyurea was followed by a
dramatic response of both the polycythemia vera and the HES, with
return to normal of the abnormal immunologic measures. This case
report documents that evidence of immunologic and myeloproliferative
causes of HES may coexist in the same patient.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 1986 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Who loves ya.
Tom

Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com

Man Is A Herbivore!
http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3

DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk