The University of Minnesota Center for Lung Science and Health will host a free Pulmonary Fibrosis and Scleroderma Education Day for patients, families, and professionals. The event is being held from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the University of Minnesota McNamara Alumni Center. Senator Norm Coleman will be present to receive special recognition for his efforts in introducing the recently passed Congressional bill that recognizes National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week and the urgent need to identify effective treatments and a cure.
This is the third consecutive year that this educational outreach activity has been offered to increase public awareness and educate patients and caregivers affected by these disabling and life-threatening lung diseases. More than 300,000 people in the United States are affected by scleroderma, and more than 200,000 are affected by pulmonary fibrosis. Even more startling, pulmonary fibrosis kills 40,000 patients annually, or as many patients per year as breast cancer. "This is a special opportunity for patients, caregivers, and professionals to become better informed about disease risk factors, current disease management strategies, new research findings, promising treatment options, complimentary therapies, quality of life, and coping skills," said Timothy Whelan, M.D., director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program at the University of Minnesota.
Ganesh Raghu, M.D., one of the nation's leading idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis researchers and internationally recognized author, is the featured guest speaker for this year's event. Raghu is the director of the Interstitial Lung Disease and Pulmonary Fibrosis Program and medical director of the Lung Transplant Program at the University of Washington Medical Center. Other speakers for the day include medical experts from the pulmonary, cardiology, rheumatology, and lung transplant programs at the University of Minnesota. The Center for Lung Science and Health's Pulmonary Fibrosis and Scleroderma Education Day is co-sponsored by the Coalition of Pulmonary Fibrosis and the Scleroderma Foundation. Participating nurses and respiratory therapists will be eligible for continuing education units (CEUs). Participants are asked to register in advance by visiting www.lung.umn.edu/education/home.html or by calling the Center for Lung Science and Health at 612-625-7741 or 1-800-646-9255.
Editor's Note: A patient with scleroderma will be available to speak with reporters to discuss how the disease affects her and her family, and what they are doing to make a difference. There may also be an opportunity to speak with a patient with pulmonary fibrosis. Contact either media contact for more information.
About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a form of interstitial lung disease (ILD), is a debilitating disease marked by progressive scarring of the lungs and difficulty breathing. Although this lung disease can occasionally be linked to an exposure or condition, no specific cause is typically determined for the majority of patients. Risk factors may include genetics, exposures to viral infections, inhaled occupational or environmental irritants, or tobacco smoke which can result in increased inflammation in the lungs. Through medical research, it is known that this scarring in the lungs involves changes in the lung's normal tissue repair process. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for pulmonary fibrosis. This disease is widely unrecognized by the general public and even in parts of the medical community, where misdiagnosis remains a critical problem.
About Scleroderma/Systemic Sclerosis
Scleroderma/systemic sclerosis is a chronic and often progressive autoimmune disease (body's immune system attacks its own tissues) which can lead to a significant loss in quality of life and increasing disability. It is known to cause the skin to harden or tighten. In more severe, systemic disease, damage to the lungs and other internal organs can also occur. ILD/pulmonary fibrosis can be a complication of scleroderma.
The Center for Lung Science and Health at the University of Minnesota, an interdisciplinary center affiliated with the Medical School, facilitates interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach activities in order to promote lung health and improve care of patients with lung disease. The Center is part of the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, one of the most comprehensive facilities for health professionals in the nation, fostering interdisciplinary study, research, and education.
