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        Intervene: Patients who smoke would benefit from greater physician intervention, according to a new report in Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

        “Physicians must recognize tobacco dependence as a chronic disease that is subject to relapse,” said Dr. Michael Fiore, professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. “But this is a chronic disease that can be put into long-term remission, particularly if health-care providers assist their patients who smoke by providing evidence-based tobacco dependence counseling and medications.”

        Physician intervention is shown to significantly improve patients' odds of successfully giving up tobacco. A three- to -10-minute counseling session with a physician helps 16 percent of patients quit smoking.

        The report is a call to action for chest physicians treating smoking-related diseases, authors said. Those diseases include bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, angina, coronary artery disease, lung cancer and heart attack.

Calendar

        Celebrate: St. Elizabeth Women's Wellness and Complementary Therapies department is sponsoring a Day of Celebration for Breast Cancer Survivors 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 6 at Receptions Banquet and Conference Center in Erlanger. Dr. April Tillery will discuss ways to manage menopause without hormone therapy. Other topics include breast cancer and genetics and “Survival Safety After Breast Cancer.'' Cost: $25. Reservations: (859) 344-3939.

Tips

        Trying again: In Pregnancy After a Loss: A Guide to Pregnancy After a Miscarriage, Stillbirth or Infant Death (Berkley Books; $14.95), author Carol Cirulli Lanham suggests asking five questions to determine when you'll be ready to try again:

        • Am I physically ready to try again? Barring unusual circumstances, it's usually safe to try again after three menstrual cycles.

        • Is my daily life back to normal — or almost? Consider if you're spending most days crying, eating very little or sleeping very little. If so, it's too soon.

        • Do I want my next baby to be born on the anniversary of my loss? Many women feel physically and emotionally ready to try again about three months after their loss. But check your calendar and think about anniversary dates.

        • Are there other good reasons to wait? Chronic health problems and a history of difficult pregnancies are both good reasons to wait a little longer. Stress is also another factor.

        • Should I try again sooner rather than later? That's up to you. Weigh the emotional factors (unresolved grief, emotional and relationship stress) against the physical (fertility problems, age, etc.) and decide what's best for you and your family.

Siting

        Click: Clinical trials for new medications and devices can provide the latest life-saving developments to patients. Check out www.clinicaltrials.gov for up-to-date listings of what trials are being carried out and where. The site, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine, lets visitors search by disease or study sponsor and includes links to research information.

        Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone: 768-8510; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: pofarrell@enquirer.com.

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