Stop Smoking Expert David Kaufman, M.D. shares Stop Smoking management news and commentary at StopSmokingConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.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/stop-smoking/c/95381 http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381 http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/49459/american-2008 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:49:00 -0000 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/stop-smoking/c/95381/49459/american-2008 http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/47401/difficult Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:34:00 -0000 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/stop-smoking/c/95381/47401/difficult http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/38554/regulation Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:49:00 -0000 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/stop-smoking/c/95381/38554/regulation http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/36327/cigarette-ban Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:20:00 -0000 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/stop-smoking/c/95381/36327/cigarette-ban http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/36062/summertime Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:01:00 -0000 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/stop-smoking/c/95381/36062/summertime http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/31254/depression Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:02:00 -0000 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/stop-smoking/c/95381/31254/depression http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/29782/quitting-hard Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:12:00 -0000 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/stop-smoking/c/95381/29782/quitting-hard http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/28296/american Mon, 19 May 2008 22:23:00 -0000 David Kaufman, M.D. I am currently at the annual congress of the American Thoracic Society, the largest international professional society dedicated to respiratory science and medicine. The Society’s motto is “we help the world breathe,” and the congress consists of 6 days of lectures, presentations and meetings all dedicated to improving lung health and our understanding of the biology of lung disease. Over 17,000 people from all over the globe... http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/28296/american http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/27090/told-lung-age Tue, 06 May 2008 14:28:00 -0000 David Kaufman, M.D. In the last post, I discussed COPD and asthma, and how to distinguish them. I introduced the topic of pulmonary function tests, or PFTs. Today, I would like to discuss PFTs in more detail. PFTs allow health care professionals to make the diagnosis of lung disease and to judge how severe it is. PFTs evaluate how well air can flow into and out of the lungs and how effective the lungs are at transferring gas from the air into the... http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/27090/told-lung-age http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/25730/difference Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:51:49 -0000 David Kaufman, M.D. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is, I think, one of the most misunderstood common lung diseases. It is very important, as it is the 4th most common cause of death in the US, and the only common cause of death that is becoming more common, in contrast to, say, heart disease and many forms of cancer, which are getting better and better treatment. In my experience (and one that is shared by many other lung specialists) is that... http://www.healthcentral.com/stop-smoking/c/95381/25730/difference