NBA, Asthma Foundation Team-Up for Disease Awareness

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have come together to offer a unique opportunity for one lucky person to "Go Pro" in the NBA for a day.

The Foundation's national asthma education campaign -- "Are You Ready to Go Pro?" -- is aimed at helping people take better care of their asthma to improve their quality of life. The Web site, http://www.readytogopro.com/, is filled with free information about asthma prevention, management and treatment. The NBA and AAFA are also hosting a sweepstakes for one lucky person to win a trip to NBA Draft 2007 in New York and spend time with an NBA player or legend.

"Health and fitness are important issues for the NBA and our fans," says Josh Wachs, NBA Vice President for Community Relations. "This partnership with AAFA allows us to help raise awareness about the effects of asthma and how people with this disease can help themselves."

"Asthma prevalence has doubled in the last 20 years," says Sheryl Lucas, MD, a Board Certified Allergist with Kaiser Permanente in Washington, DC, "and we're seeing an alarming number of uncontrolled asthma cases, which tells us we need better education about proper asthma management." Dr. Lucas added, "The really good news is that asthma won't stop you if it's well controlled, but you need to take it seriously and manage it like a 'pro'."

Thirteen-year-old Damon Braxton lives in Maryland and has had asthma all his life. According to his mother, Shanice, they didn't know that asthma could be better controlled, "I never thought it was an option for him to be on a team because he couldn't keep up." Damon rarely used medication or visited his doctor for asthma, so playing on a basketball team was out of the question due to frequent shortness of breath and asthma attacks. But Shanice began to take her son's asthma more seriously a few years ago and today Damon is an active basketball player. "Now I know it's possible if we go to the doctor and control his asthma," she said.

"Asthma treatments are better than ever," says Yucynthia Jean-Louis, President of AAFA. Patients typically use daily "controller" medications, and "rescue" medications only when needed for emergency relief, so proper use of asthma medications is important. "Good asthma management gives you a good quality of life," says Ms. Jean-Louis, "and can also help you avoid the limitations that poorly controlled asthma often creates."

According to the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), more than 15 percent of athletes at all levels of competition show some symptoms of asthma, but it doesn't stop them from becoming the best. According to a recent study of elite athletes, at least one in six U.S. athletes in recent Olympic Games had a history of asthma and nearly 30 percent of them won team or individual medals, the same success rate as athletes without asthma. In addition, when their asthma is well managed, professional athletes succeed in all of the pro leagues including football, baseball, soccer, hockey and basketball. "Asthma is more manageable today than ever before," said Dr. Lucas, "so people who take good care of their asthma can become whatever they want in life, even an NBA pro."

Asthma Statistics

Asthma is one of the most common diseases in the U.S. affecting more than 20 million children and adults. It is a chronic disease characterized by the constriction, narrowing and blockage of airways in the lungs causing breathing difficulty. The impact of asthma on the nation is huge:

    - $14 billion in annual medical expenses and indirect costs
    - More than 4,000 asthma-related deaths annually
    - 14 million missed days of school for children each year, making asthma
      the leading cause of school absenteeism
    - 14.5 million missed days of work for adults each year
    - 100 million days of restricted physical activity for children and
      adults each year
    - 1.8 million emergency room visits annually

AAFA's "Are You Ready to Go Pro?" asthma education campaign is sponsored by Teva Specialty Pharmaceuticals-USA, Teva's Respiratory Therapy unit.

About AAFA

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is the leading nonprofit consumer and patient organization fighting asthma and allergic diseases. AAFA provides free consumer information, patient education, and funding for research to find cures.

About NBA

NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. During the first year of NBA Cares, teams, current and former players, and the league office contributed 250,000 hours of hands-on volunteer service, raised more than $40 million for charity, and created 146 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally-recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: UNICEF; Reading Is Fundamental; Habitat for Humanity; Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Feed the Children, Special Olympics, KaBOOM!, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and many others.

About TSP

Teva Specialty Pharmaceuticals-USA was created following Teva's acquisition of IVAX Corporation. Teva Specialty Pharmaceuticals-USA's primary focus is on respiratory therapy, which builds on the strong foundation provided by IVAX Laboratories' line of respiratory products, including QVAR(R) (beclomethasone dipropionate HFA) Inhalation Aerosol and the recently launched ProAir(R) HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol.