HEALTH NOTES

Concert benefits asthma education

The Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation will hold a concert to raise money for asthma education on Nov. 2.

SuperFreak, a band that plays covers of 1970s songs, will play at the Tower Theater, 425 NW 23, from 8-11 p.m. Tickets cost $30 and are available at www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1734173.

McLarty died of an asthma attack in 2012, at the age of 16. About 23 million people nationwide have asthma. For more information, go to www.BrendonMcLartyFoundation.org.

Run raises money for organ donation

The LifeShare Foundation will host a 5K run and one-mile walk Nov. 3.

LifeShare is the organization in charge of connecting people who need organ transplants with donors and recovering tissue and organs from people who have died. Last year, it facilitated 481 organ transplants.

The walk starts at 10 a.m. at Regatta Park, with the run following at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $40 for adults and $20 for children who are 12 or younger. To sign up, go to www.LifeShareOKFoundation.org/lrh5k.html.

Free dental care for vets

Custom Dental will offer free fillings, cleanings and extractions to veterans on Nov. 8 at 6800 S Western. Appointments are required and are available from 1-5 p.m. To make one, call 405-631-7571.

Researchers seek volunteers

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundations are looking for people with sarcoidosis who would be willing to give blood samples and allow researchers to review their medical records.

Sarcoidosis is caused by the immune system overreacting. Cells clump together in small lumps called granulomas, which show up most often in the lungs. They also can form in the eyes, liver, skin or brain. If too many granulomas form in one spot, it can cause organ failure.

The disease is most common in black Americans, and kills about 7 percent of people who have it.

The researchers are hoping to find genes that raise a person’s risk of sarcoidosis. They also need healthy people to serve as controls. If a gene is common in people with sarcoidosis, but also common in the controls, it probably isn’t an important risk factor for the disease.

The study needs 200 sarcoidosis patients and about the same number of controls. Participants will be paid $20. For more information, call 405-2712504 or email sru@omrf.org.