1,000 people are needed for ground-breaking research into an incurable lung condition at the University of Edinburgh. Supported by the British Lung Foundation, Professor Moira Whyte and Dr Gourab Choudhury will conduct research into the very early stages of the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD affects around 3 million people in the UK and is responsible for around 30,000 deaths in the UK annually. There are over 17,000 people in the Lothians who have been diagnosed with COPD. According to BLF research, there are also over 27% more hospital admissions for COPD in Edinburgh than the England, Scotland and Wales average.
COPD is a lifelong condition that makes breathing difficult because the airways have been narrowed. People living with COPD feel out of breath doing everyday tasks, such as hoovering or walking to the shops. Though 20% of people with COPD have never smoked, and not all smokers develop COPD, it is mainly caused by smoking from early adulthood.
This research will seek to identify people at risk of developing the condition, with the aim of improving diagnosis and treatment for people with COPD. The research team will establish the “BLF Early COPD Cohort”, a group of young adult smokers between the ages of 30-45, to track changes in their lung function over time. This will identify and study the people whose lung function is beginning to decline and who are at greater risk of developing COPD.
Currently, there are no drugs that can slow progression of COPD and reverse the damage COPD causes to the lungs. An improved understanding of the early phases of COPD is essential to find new treatments which can halt, and ultimately reverse, the disease.
Professor Moira Whyte, Head of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This is an important opportunity to understand the early stages of how cigarette smoking affects the lungs and how we may be able to prevent people, whether smokers or not, from developing COPD.”
Dr Gourab Choudhury, lead Scottish investigator for this study and the COPD clinical lead for NHS Lothian, added: “COPD is an incredibly debilitating condition, and early detection of the disease is critical to slow down the process. This study would indeed help us to gather more insight into this.”
Ian Jarrold, head of research at the British Lung Foundation, said: “COPD can be incredibly life-limiting for people. Think about the last time you were out of breath, and imagine being in that state just doing everyday tasks like brushing your teeth.
“There remains an urgent need to provide people with better treatments, but this is dependent on us gaining a better understanding of how the condition develops and progresses.
“This study will be invaluable in helping us answer these questions.”
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