Researchers in Southampton and London have launched a national study which aims to pinpoint when lung health starts to decline in young adult smokers.
Led by Professor Tom Wilkinson at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, the project will help clinicians work towards a way of preventing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Funded by the British Lung Foundation, it will involve monitoring the lung function of smokers aged between 30 and 45 over three years through check-up appointments every six months.
COPD is the name for a collection of lung diseases including bronchitis and emphysema and causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed and narrowed, making it hard to breathe.
The likelihood of developing COPD increases the more frequently and the longer an individual smokes. Although there is currently no cure, treatment can help slow the progression of the condition and control symptoms.
Participants in the study, which is being run in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, will also be offered advice and support on how to quit smoking.
If you are interested in being involved, please contact 023 8120 4479 or email [email protected] for more information.
