REGISTER NOW FOR THE 18TH ANNUAL 5K RUN AND WALK FOR LUPUS Sunday, June 10, 2012 | West Valley College, Saratoga
REGISTERED TEAMS TO DATE: The-A-Team | Arthritis & Rheumatism Center |Betty's Babes | Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants | Red Power Divas (Runners) | Red Power Divas (Walkers) |Roberta's Hope for Research Team | Team Eat Pray Love
Team Jane | Team Marianne | Team Marielle | Team Nana | Team Sonoma County | Team Von Raesfeld | The Butterfly Effect | True Butterfly Also announcing...
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Congratulations to
Mary Lynn, of Los Gatos, California, our latest winner of a pair of free movie tickets just by "liking" us on our new LFNC Facebook page! You too could win! Drawing every two weeks.Click HERE to "like" us. A great way to connect with the lupus community: patients, families, friends, supporters. Drawing every two weeks!
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"DOUBLE THE PACE" FUND CAMPAIGN
As of March 31, 2012, we have reached 53% of our goal. Please help us reach our goal of $68,000 by June 30, 2012.
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Information contained in this e-Newsletter should not be considered a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or management of S.L.E. and symptoms by a physician.
Missed a previous issue of this e-Newsletter? You can now view our ARCHIVES.
Editor: Rene Astudillo Editorial Assistant: Spandan Chakrabarti |
LFNC is an active partner in
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Connect with us on
via "Lupus Online"
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LFNC's Social Media Program is funded through a generous grant from THE HENRY L. GUENTHER FOUNDATION GEORGE H. SANDY FOUNDATION |
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MAY 15, 2012 AT A RESTAURANT NEAR YOU! Click HERE for details and an initial list of participating restaurants.
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NSAIDs and the Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, better know as NSAIDs, are commonly used by lupus patients and others to help reduce inflammation and pain. The analgesic (pain-relieving), anti-pyretic (fever-reducing) and anti-inflammatory (inflammation-reducing) properties of this class of drug makes NSAIDs one of the most frequently used drugs for the symptomatic treatment of many common conditions. Like all other drugs, NSAIDs come with side effects, ranging from abdominal pain and heartburn to rashes and headaches. Randomized trials have also highlighted the cardiovascular risks of NSAIDs in high doses and atypical settings. There are many brands of NSAIDs --both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) -- that are available in the market. How do they stack up against each other in as far as the risk for cardiovascular disease is concerned? In a new study published in the journal PLoS Medicine from the Public Library of Science, a group of scientists suggests that among widely-used NSAIDs, Naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn) and low-dose Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) are least likely to increase cardiovascular risk. Diclofenac (Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren, Voltarol, Zipsor) in doses available without prescription elevates risk. Idomethacin (Indocid, Indocin) is an older, rather toxic drug, and the evidence on cardiovascular risk casts doubt on its continued clinical use. Further, the researchers found that risk was elevated with low doses of Rofecoxib (Vioxx, Ceoxx, Ceeoxx), Celecoxib (Celebrex) and Diclofenac, and rose with higher doses. Watch out for LFNC's 2012 Spring/Summer 16-page newsletter (coming soon) for a full article on this topic. As always, if you have concerns about your medications, talk to your physician or pharmacist.
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LFNC SPRING CALENDAR
April 11 |9 am Pacific | On the Internet Webinar: "Coping with Chronic Illness," presented by the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation. FREE. Click HERE for details and registration information.
April 14 | San Jose The Hangout, a support group by and for young adults concerned about lupus. For more information, click HERE.
April 28 | Redwood City 2012 Spring Mini-conference. For more information and to register, click HERE. CEU credits available to RNs.
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Proposed Senate Bill Seeks to Strengthen Medical Review Process for Denied Insurance Claims
Senate Bill (SB) 1410, introduced by Senator Ed Hernandez, will amend California's Independent Medical Review (IMR) System to provide more transparency and encourage more effective program use and oversight.
IMR allows a consumer of a health plan regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) or a health insurer regulated by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to receive an independent external review when a plan denies coverage for a benefit or service that it does not consider to be medically necessary or that it considers to be experimental or investigational. Current law requires a reviewer to be a clinician "knowledgeable in the treatment of the IMR enrollee's medical condition, knowledgeable about the proposed treatment, and familiar with guidelines and protocols in the area of treatment under review." SB 1410 strengthens existing law by requiring a reviewer to be an "expert in the treatment of the enrollee's medical condition and knowledgeable about the proposed treatment through recent or current actual clinical experience." By requiring the reviewer to be an expert, SB 1410 ensures that cases are reviewed by medical professionals with appropriate specialized knowledge.
SB 1410 also requires DMHC and CDI to jointly develop one common, free, searchable database that would include more complete and standardized information about all of California's IMR decisions.
For more information, or to support the bill, contact Ben Rubin in the Senate Health Committee by email or by calling (916) 651-4111.
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LFNC'S CHARITY CAR DRAWING
Win this 2012 Honda Civic Sedan LX DETAILS
Congratulations to ALBERT J. AND DELORES M. JORGE of Morro Bay, California, for winning a 7-day Cruise to Mexico or the Caribbean on Holland America Line! Their winning entry was picked in the early-bird drawing held March 22, 2012. Who will win the new car in the final drawing on June 10, 2012?
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