Health Expert David Kaufman, M.D. shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/95381/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/95381/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/95381/index http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/105294/progression-end Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:05:00 -0500 David Kaufman, M.D. Emphysema is one of the main diseases included in the diagnosis “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” or COPD. The other is chronic bronchitis. Most people with COPD have a combination of both. Some people have mostly chronic bronchitis, while others have mostly emphysema. In most cases, COPD is a disease caused by cigarette smoking.   Recent research suggests that pipe and cigar smoking may also contribute to lung... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/105294/progression-end http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/55893/smoking-cease Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:00:00 -0500 David Kaufman, M.D. A new year is here, and now  the United States will have a new president. Barack Obama's election is a landmark in many ways, including the fact that he is a cigarette smoker. Major news organizations have featured articles on Obama's smoking habit. The New York Times recently reported that Obama has been trying to quit, but has failed despite a few attempts, even using nicotine replacement chewing gum. The article has several good... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/55893/smoking-cease http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/54540/reasons-quit Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:30:00 -0500 David Kaufman, M.D. The holidays can be a stressful time. Completing so many tasks, like sending cards, cooking meals for lots of family, and making special plans for New Year's can take some of the joy out of the season. This year, with the global economy shuddering from what seems like worse news every day, even giving and receiving gifts may add a layer of stress. So for smokers, this might seem like the least likely time to quit smoking. But this is also the... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/54540/reasons-quit http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/49459/american-2008 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:49:00 -0500 David Kaufman, M.D. Thursday, November 20, is the Great American Smoke Out, which occurs the third Thursday every November (the week before Thanksgiving.)   Join millions of people in the USA in quitting or dramatically reducing how much you smoke this Thursday.   The idea for the Great American Smoke Out began in 1974, when a Minnesota newspaper editor named Lynn Smith sponsored Don't Smoke Day. Some believe it grew out of an event three years... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/49459/american-2008 http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/47401/difficult Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:34:00 -0500 David Kaufman, M.D. I would just like to share with you some new research about quitting smoking.   Recently presented research indicates why quitting smoking may be more difficult. Dr. David Sachs of the Palo Alto (California) Center for Pulmonary Disease Prevention reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians that smokers who are enrolled in formal quit smoking programs have higher levels of nicotine dependency that people... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/47401/difficult http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/38554/regulation Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:49:00 -0400 David Kaufman, M.D. Late last month, the US House of Representatives voted to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products, including cigarettes and forms of smokeless tobacco. Whether cigars would fall under FDA regulation is unclear. The bill, known as the "The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act," (H.R. 1108), passed by a vote of 326-102. The US Senate will likely vote on the bill during the Fall, and... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/38554/regulation http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/36327/cigarette-ban Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:20:00 -0400 David Kaufman, M.D. Recently, controversy had surrounded mentholated cigarettes. Menthol, a minty-tasting additive, may anesthetize nerve endings slightly, making cigarettes seem less harsh and bitter. Mentholated cigarettes seem to appeal more to African American smokers: 79% of African American smokers preferred mentholated cigarettes, compared to between 13 and 20% of white smokers. Age also plays an important role: almost half of smokers between 12 and... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/36327/cigarette-ban http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/36062/summertime Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:01:00 -0400 David Kaufman, M.D. Now that we are in the “dog days” of summer, many of us hear reports on TV or the radio regarding air quality. Because these warnings are usually directed towards people with lung disease or heart disease, I think it’s important to understand what’s behind the “air quality” ratings.   In general, the “air quality” refers to the ozone level. What is ozone? Ozone (chemical symbol: O3) is a... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/36062/summertime http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/31254/depression Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:02:00 -0400 David Kaufman, M.D. In my last post, I began to discuss how the medical expert David Katz, MD, sees smoking as part of a bigger picture of problems, including dependence on other substances, depression, anxiety, and trouble with weight. I wrote about how the presence of these other factors makes quitting smoking harder, but also sheds light on how to maximize a person’s attempts to quit. For example, identifying and treating depression or anxiety with... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/31254/depression http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/29782/quitting-hard Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:12:00 -0400 David Kaufman, M.D. I attended a conference the other day given by Dr. David L. Katz, a well-known primary care doctor who regularly works with Oprah, ABC news, as well as other major news organizations (www.davidkatzmd.com). He is well known for his advice on helping people lose weight by identifying which elements of their lifestyles need change to encourage better eating and more exercise.   Recently, he has been applying the same ideas to help... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/95381/29782/quitting-hard