Research

Over 1 in 3 people with COPD report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Yet, challenges with mental health are often under-recognised and under-treated in people living with chronic lung disease. Dr Lisa Brighton tells us about her important research into ways to support people with COPD and their mental health.

Clinical trials are an essential part of medical research, looking at new ways to prevent, detect or treat disease. But recruitment into trials is struggling, with the number of patients accessing industry research falling by 44% between 2017 and 2021 (ABPI 2022). This is a serious threat to the long-term future of clinical research in the UK – and the benefits it brings to patients, the NHS and the economy.

For some people with long-term lung conditions, their symptoms can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Dr Lisa Jane Brighton, a researcher at King’s College London, explains why we should be thinking about how living with a long-term lung condition can affect people’s social wellbeing.

Our vision at Asthma + Lung UK is for a world where everyone has healthy lungs. When people are left struggling to breathe, getting them the right treatment starts with early and accurate diagnosis. Dr Erika Kennington, Head of Research and Innovation, tells us more about Asthma + Lung UK’s £2 million investment in improving diagnosis and why better diagnosis tools, techniques, and approaches are key to saving the nation’s lung health.

Recently, Asthma + Lung UK launched our new Innovator’s Network with the first in our new series of events for innovators, researchers and healthcare professionals. Naomi from our Research team tells us about this first event, what the key takeaways were and our hopes for the network.

Krisnah Poinasamy, Head of Research and Innovation Advocacy at Asthma and Lung UK, shares two joint A+LUK publications and discusses their potential implications for respiratory research and innovation.

Professor Clare Murray and her team at the University of Manchester have made a potentially life-changing discovery for people with asthma, in the ‘silent zone’ of the lungs. It could be the key to finding new ways to diagnose and treat asthma – and save lives.

For years the respiratory life sciences have been underfunded, despite lung conditions affecting one in five people in the UK and being the third biggest cause of death. Our CEO, Sarah Woolnough explains what we believe needs to change and our ideas for improving research and innovation in lung health.

Lung conditions have been treated in many ways over the centuries. Some old-fashioned treatments have laid the foundations for the modern treatments we use today, while others have done more harm than good. This blog is going to delve into the past and explore some of these old-fashioned treatments. Please do bear in mind that some of the treatments explored in this article are not recommended for use today.

Danielle Roe, our Patient and Public Involvement Manager, shares how involving patients in your research can not only improve the quality of your work, but ensure it has the biggest possible impact on the lives of people with lung conditions.

Dr Samantha Walker tells us about Asthma + Lung UK’s mission to reduce respiratory morbidity and mortality by 20% over the next 5 years through a big focus on research and innovation.

Over the years Asthma + Lung UK (previously Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation) have funded hundreds of research projects to find new ways to treat lung conditions and improve lives. In this blog, Bella from our Media Team shows us a few of our more unusual projects.