U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA Consumer magazine
September-October 2002
Table of Contents

fda.gov

Topics in This Issue:

Don't Be Blind to Blindness
Some Hot Tips for Writing School Reports
Learning More About Asthma
Finding Feds and Others

Don't Be Blind to Blindness

More Americans than ever are facing blindness from age-related eye disease, according to "Vision Problems in the U.S.," a recent report by the National Eye Institute (NEI). Currently, the institute says, more than 1 million Americans 40 and over are blind, and 2.4 million more are visually impaired. These numbers are expected to double over the next 30 years as the baby boomer generation ages.

But these staggering statistics can be reduced, experts say, with early detection and treatment--and with basic knowledge about the various eye disorders. On its Web site at www.nei.nih.gov, the NEI tells you who's at risk for eye problems and what you can do about them. The site's features include:

photographs simulating what vision looks like to those with disorders such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy
a clinical studies database that catalogs the many eye studies in progress and shows how to join studies that are open
the full "Vision Problems in the U.S." study
an interactive quiz that tests how much you know about glaucoma.

Some Hot Tips for Writing School Reports

So school has started and you need some ideas for writing a term paper or school report? The FDA understands and can help with "Student Resources," a Web site that suggests topics for school reports and gives tips on how to do a solid job of putting a report together. For example, the site advises: "Use the facts to write your own report, don't copy word-for-word."

The site can help get you started with topics such as cosmetics, foodborne illness, health fraud, nutrition, and pesticides. For history or government class, there's information about how laws are made and a page showing milestones in FDA history. And for civics class, there's a section on being a good citizen and consumer.

For a head start on your next school report project, go to www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/students.html. The page was created by the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Learning More About Asthma

Asthma affects nearly 15 million people in this country, 5 million of whom are under age 18, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Although asthma-related mortality in the United States is among the lowest in the world, the disease still kills about 5,000 people domestically each year.

To help consumers understand better what asthma is and how to treat and manage it, the NHLBI has created the Asthma Management Model System, an interactive Web site loaded with useful information. The model has three main features:

Education--provides access to an electronic library, patient education materials, and teaching/learning tools.
Communication--allows registering for e-mail updates and online forums and discussions.
Research--links to several searchable databases related to asthma research.

The site, at www.nhlbisupport.com/asthma/, also includes an online tutorial that explains how to best search the model.

Finding Feds and Others

If you're looking for someone who works for the government, there's a good chance you can locate that person through a Web page called the U.S. Government Telephone and E-Mail Directories. Sponsored by FirstGov, the page is a gateway for contacting elected officials (including senators, representatives, governors, and state legislators), federal employees, and military personnel. The site links to the National Contact Center, which points the way to information on topics such as Social Security, foreign travel, and savings bonds. Also featured is a gallery of congressional photos. Check the directory out at www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Directories.shtml.