KU researcher calls for more participation in nationwide lung health study

While more than 3,000 young adults nationwide have signed up to participate in an American Lung Association one-of-a-kind study, more are needed in Kansas City.

“Our hope is that the Lung Health Cohort Research Study will fundamentally change how we prevent, diagnose and treat lung disease for people in America and around the world,” said Mario Castro, M.D., MPH, professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he is also the vice chair for clinical and translational research and site principal investigator for the Lung Health Cohort study. “By studying the lungs of young adults, we hope to be able to predict what leads to chronic lung disease and lung cancer, and determine a way to stop it before a person is diagnosed with a disease.”

The American Lung Association announced today that the milestone of 3,000 study participants had been reached, but more than 1,000 are still needed.

“Our lungs are one of our only organs that is exposed to so much of the outside world, including air pollution, smoke, chemicals and more, and we must do everything that we can to prevent disease,” Castro added. “Because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.”

The American Lung Association Lung Health Cohort Research Study is the first-ever large-scale lung health study. The goal is to track 4,000 young adults (aged 25-35 at enrollment) at the age of peak lung health for five years. The idea is to evaluate how participants’ environment, lifestyle and physical activity habits affect long-term respiratory health. In addition to KU Medical Center, the study is also being conducted at 32 other sites across the country.

Castro encourages young adults between the ages of 25 and 35 in the Kansas City area to learn more about the study on the American Lung Association website.

For the Lung Health Cohort, each participant will visit the study site where a healthcare provider will administer tests, including a low-dose CT scan, and ask several questions. Following that visit, the participants will provide information about their lung health electronically, over the phone or by mail four times per year.

This longitudinal study is made possible by a $24.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The Lung Association's Airways Clinical Research Centers (ACRC) Network is conducting the study through researchers at all center locations. Those interested in participating in the study can locate a site near them and start the process by visiting Lung.org/lung-study.