Asthma Research Could Lead To Preventing Attacks In Future, Says British Lung Foundation

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Allergy
Article Date: 12 Aug 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA (PNAS) explores the mechanisms behind the common cold virus and how it causes asthma attacks.

The research, funded by the British Lung Foundation, Asthma UK, the Medical Research Council, Imperial College London and the Wellcome Trust, is good news for the five million asthma sufferers in the UK because it may lead to a way of preventing attacks in future.

"The common cold is the main reason why people with asthma get bad attacks," says Professor Neil Barnes, spokesperson for the British Lung Foundation. "This research is important because it helps us to understand exactly what happens in our lungs during an asthma attack and it may lead to a way of preventing attacks in future."

1. The British Lung Foundation is the only UK charity working for everyone affected by lung disease. The charity focuses its resources on providing support for people affected by lung disease today; and works in a variety of ways (including funding world-class research) to bring about positive change, to improve treatment, care and support for people affected by lung disease in the future.

2. It provides information via the website http://www.lunguk.org and telephone helpline 08458 50 50 20.

3. In 2006 the charity launched a membership scheme with the aim of recruiting the 8 million people with lung disease in the UK and anyone with an interest in lung disease.

4. One person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease - this equates to approximately 8 million people

5. Respiratory disease is the second biggest killer in the UK (117,456 deaths in 2004) after all non-respiratory cancers combined which only account for slightly more deaths (122,500 deaths in UK in 2004)

6. Respiratory disease now kills one in five people in the UK

7. The UK's death rate from respiratory disease is almost double the European average and the 6th highest in Europe

8. Respiratory disease is the most commonly reported long term illness in children and the third most commonly reported in adults. One in 7 boys and 1 in 8 girls aged 2 - 15 report having long term respiratory illness in England

British Lung Foundation