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NFL Football Star Jerome Bettis Teams Up With the American Lung Association to Bring Asthma Education to San Diego

Posted on: Friday, 20 May 2005, 12:01 CDT

SAN DIEGO, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and asthma patient for nearly 20 years, will participate in a press conference in San Diego on May 20 at the Jackie Robinson YMCA at 10:30 a.m. to underscore the need for improved asthma control in San Diego.

The press event is being hosted by the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties and will announce the kick-off of the Know Your Asthma Score and Expect More campaign in the local San Diego community. As part of the campaign, Bettis is working to raise awareness about the need for improved asthma control and motivate asthma patients to take a simple, five- question quiz called the Asthma Control Test(TM) (ACT) supported by the American Lung Association. The ACT is an objective assessment tool that can help people 12 years of age and older with asthma assess the frequency of their symptoms and give them information to discuss with their healthcare professional. Bettis will also unveil a display that can be found throughout the San Diego community, offering a free brochure featuring the ACT.

"I've experienced first-hand the consequences of uncontrolled asthma," said Jerome Bettis, fifth all-time leading rusher in the National Football League (NFL). "Controlling symptoms allows you to stay active and do more of the things you want to do, which for me is playing football."

Other speakers include Dr. Nancy Bowen, San Diego Public Health Officer; Michael Brunker, Executive Director of the Jackie Robinson YMCA; Janie Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer for the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties; Lottie Harris, Project Director for San Diego Black Health Associates; and Dr. Michael Welch, asthma specialist and Co- Director of the Allergy and Asthma Medical Group and Research Center and Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Each will address the burden of asthma in San Diego, and steps being taken to manage the disease.

"The American Lung Association is committed to encouraging people with asthma to take the Asthma Control Test," said Janie Davis, the organization's President and CEO. "Asthma affects the daily lives of more than 160,000 adults in San Diego County alone and this test is an easy first step towards better asthma control."

Asthma is a chronic condition affecting approximately 20 million Americans. If left uncontrolled, asthma can lead to a range of consequences, including frequent symptoms, missed work, urgent care visits, hospitalization and even life-threatening asthma attacks. More than 2.7 million adults in California have been diagnosed with asthma, and nearly 200,000 adults in the state reported an emergency room visit for treatment of asthma in the past year.

"With ongoing assessment and effective treatment, asthma symptoms can be reduced, resulting in fewer attacks and emergency room visits," said Dr. Michael Welch, asthma specialist, and Co-Director of the Allergy and Asthma Medical Group and Research Center, and Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. "Reduced symptoms also mean fewer missed work or school days, and the ability to more fully participate in leisure activities -- all goals of optimal asthma control according to established treatment guidelines."

"Asthma is a major problem in the San Diego area," said Dr. Nancy Bowen, San Diego Public Health Officer. "We support all efforts related to improving asthma control in San Diego that address the condition directly and promote educational efforts for patients and their families. People with asthma need to know asthma is a manageable disease and that there are resources available, like the Asthma Control Test, to help them take steps toward getting symptoms under control and improving their quality of life."

KNOW YOUR ASTHMA SCORE AND EXPECT MORE

Answers to the ACT provide asthma patients a score that may help them and their doctor determine if their current treatment plan is working. The total ACT score is based on a range of 5 to 25. A score of 19 or less may be an indication that asthma symptoms are not as controlled as they could be. If a patient scores 19 or less, they should make an appointment with their doctor to discuss their ACT results and ensure they are properly controlling airway constriction and inflammation, the two main causes of asthma symptoms. Even if patients score a 20 or more they should talk with their doctor about their results to help improve their asthma dialogue.

The American Lung Association supports the ACT and recommends that everyone 12 and older with asthma take the test. Asthma is a chronic lung disease where both inflammation and bronchoconstriction cause the airways to narrow, leading to symptoms that include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Though there is no cure, asthma can be a highly controllable disease when patients take the appropriate steps toward symptom prevention and daily long-term management.

A free copy of the ACT is available by calling toll free 1-800-990-4100 or visiting online at http://www.asthmacontrol.com/ .

ABOUT THE ASTHMA CONTROL TEST

The ACT is a five-item questionnaire which gives physicians and patients a simple yet highly predictive tool they can use to help assess asthma control. In a validation study, the ACT was administered to more than 471 asthma patients during routine office visits with asthma specialists. After completing the questionnaire, patients took a lung function test (spirometry) to measure pre-bronchodilator FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second), and asthma specialists -- who were blinded to patients' ACT results -- examined the patients. Specialists then offered a global assessment of patients' asthma control, assigning a rating using a five-point scale. Each patient's ACT results were then compared with their spirometry results and the specialist's global assessment, which was categorized as either "controlled" or "not controlled." The ACT correctly classified a patient's level of asthma control in three out of four cases (76.5 percent).

ABOUT THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION

For 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to http://www.lungusa.org/ .

The American Lung Association and GlaxoSmithKline are working together on the Know Your Asthma Score & Expect More campaign to promote asthma awareness. GlaxoSmithKline is a research-based pharmaceutical company and a world leader in respiratory care.

Asthma Control Test is a trademark of QualityMetric Incorporated.

National statistics are based on 2002 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

American Lung Association

CONTACT: Kathryn Ritzinger of Cohn & Wolfe, +1-212-798-9829

Web site: http://www.asthmacontrol.com/http://www.lungusa.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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