October 2002 

Julie Feldman MPH RD, Clinical Dietitian

I hope you all enjoy the welcome back addition of the CF newsletter.  I am officially back at work as of 10/03/02.  Little Emily is doing just great, and I hope that this newsletter is finding all of you feeling well also.  If there is anything that you need that was not addressed during my maternity leave, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me at any time.  I can best be reached at work by calling 248-849-3641, and by e-mail at JFeldman@Providence-hospital.org or JULBETHY@yahoo.com.  I am looking forward to seeing all of you in clinic very soon.

New Treatment, Big Improvement

The CFF Therapeutics division announced the results of clinical trials of a new treatment method.  The study looked at the use of  Azithromycin, sold by Pfizer as Zithromax, in patients with chronic pseudomonas infections.  Patients taking this drug showed a 6% improvement in lung function on average, and a nearly 50% decrease in days spent in the hospital for treatment of pulmonary flare ups. Exciting also, was the noted weight gain experienced by patients in this trial.  More work is to be done on understanding this positive relationship between macrolide antibiotics, such as Zithromax, and lung diseases.

Corus Pharma, a Seattle-based specialty pharmaceutical company has been given a 1.7 million dollar grant from the CFF to plan for drug creation, and trials of a new drug called Corus 1020.  This is an inhaled antibiotic with broad coverage of gram negative bacteria.  Trials should begin soon.

New Web Site in the Works!

The National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Committee has a new web site in the works.  The new address is www.cfawareness.org

Don't forget CF awareness week is October 13-19th!

More Good Partnerships

The CF Foundation also announced this summer that they will be teaming up with Oxford GlycoSciences Plc of the UK.  This company is a leader is proteomics research.  You may be asking what is that, well proteomics is the study of proteins.  Figuring out what they are, what they do and how they act in our bodies.  Ever since scientists were able to unravel and sequence the human genome, the field of proteomics has really taken off, and offers real hope for CF patients around the world.

Did you ever think your doctor would order you to visit the Cider Mill?  Well it is probably not a bad idea, especially if you pick up a fresh Michigan Apple.  Even covered in caramel and nuts, apples offer a healthy serving of dietary fiber, something we all need to get more of.  So help yourself to some apples this fall season.  This recipe is another fun way to enjoy apples all year round.

Ingredients:

5 cups apples, quartered

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put apples in a 9 x 3-inch dish with water. Combine dry ingredients. Add butter and mix with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Cover apples with the mixture. Cover pan with tinfoil or aluminum wrap and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes.