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
