TOP NEWS
New Report: Flavored Tobacco Products and Youth Vaping Threaten 20 Years of Tobacco Control Progress: Our 20th Annual “State of Tobacco Control” report celebrates the progress we’ve made over the last two decades to end tobacco use but finds that products like e-cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products create concern for losing another generation to nicotine addiction. The report calls on the Biden Administration to remove menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars from the marketplace. “State of Tobacco Control” tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the federal and state level, assigning grades based on whether tobacco control laws and policies are adequately protecting citizens from the enormous toll tobacco use takes on lives and the economy. Find out how your state compares and take action to urge the Biden Administration to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
New Radon Action Plan to Address Health Inequities, Protect All Americans from Lung Cancer-Causing Gas: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and elevated radon levels are found in more than 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. To eliminate this preventable lung cancer risk factor and protect all communities and buildings, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with strategic partners like the American Lung Association, launched the new five-year National Radon Action Plan.
The Lung Association has been involved with the development and implementation of the National Radon Action Plan since its inception in 2014 and works to reduce the health impacts on radon for all Americans. Through this plan, the organizations encourage all Americans to learn more about radon at Lung.org/Radon and to test their homes. In addition, they encourage healthcare providers to speak with their patients about the health impacts of radon and to encourage them to test their homes. See our release.
Lung Association Increases Information Access to More Americans: We’ve expanded our website to 10 most used languages in the U.S. to educate more people about COVID-19, lung cancer and other lung diseases. The Lung Association added Spanish to the original English-language website in 2021 and now the website is available in Arabic, Chinese (simplified Mandarin), Filipino, French, German, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese. The expanded website translation is part of an ongoing effort by the Lung Association to maximize its community engagement with historically underrepresented communities through embracing diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization and the individuals it serves.
Black History Month: During Black History Month the Lung Association pays tribute to the history, heritage and contributions of Black people in the U.S. The national theme for 2022 is the importance of Black Health and Wellness, issues very important to our work, year-round. In recognition of Black History Month, the American Lung Association looks at declaring racism as a public health crisis, lung health outcomes affected by racism, and lung health issues disproportionately impacting Black communities. We’re also proud to present our “Spotlight Series” of partners who make considerable impacts to our mission and messages and contribute to the effort to eliminate lung disease in their communities as well as lung health resources pertinent to Black communities and those who serve them. Learn more.
Improving Diversity in Respiratory Care: The American Lung Association, American Thoracic Society, the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) are partnering to sponsor a scholar in pulmonary and critical care medicine in the prestigious Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (AMFDP), a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative. Developed to increase the number of faculty from historically marginalized backgrounds pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry, or nursing, the AMFDP invites applicants to apply each year to help shape medicine into a more equitable, more accessible practice. Learn more.
Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from COVID-19: The Lung Association urges people to wear quality masks to prevent transmission get tested if they have symptoms and if they have COVID-19 to discuss treatment options with their healthcare provider ASAP.
The Lung Association has tools and information about getting vaccinated to help keep you and those around you safe!
- Steps To Take When You Test Positive for COVID-19
- COVID-19 Testing and Diagnosis
- COVID-19 Treatment and Recovery
- Kids and COVID-19
Please GIVE to the COVID-19 Action Fund so we can help end COVID-19 and defend against future respiratory viruses.
Find the latest at Lung.org/covid19 and be sure to follow our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram social channels and share these timely resources to your network.
SUPPORT THE LUNG ASSOCIATION
Now is the Time to Climb! Climb season is here and now is the time to join an event and support the Lung Association! Our events follow CDC COVID-19 safety guidelines, while offering the experience you know and love. You will make a positive impact in the lives of those affected by lung disease by raising funds for research, education and advocacy. Every dollar raised moves us closer to healthy lungs for everyone. Register today.
LUNG FORCE Walk & Run/Walk season is just around the corner. Join us as we walk and run together to raise awareness and funds to defeat lung cancer and support health. Register for an event near you.
LUNG CANCER
New Campaign Strives to Increase Access to Lifesaving Lung Cancer Clinical Trials for Black Americans: We are pleased to announce the launch of our project, Awareness Trust and Action: Improving Lung Cancer Clinical Trial Enrollment in Black Americans. The Black community is disproportionally impacted by lung cancer and underrepresented in lung cancer clinical trials. Sometimes the most appropriate treatment option for a lung cancer patient is through a clinical trial, so it is important all patients discuss this option with their doctor. This new campaign aims to educate about lung cancer clinical trials and empower all lung cancer patients, including Black Americans to advocate for their own participation. Participation=Representation. You can learn more at Lung.org/trials-and-you. This project was made possible by support from AstraZeneca, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Genentech and Merck.
RESEARCH
Hot Off the Press - New Advancing Research Publication: The 2021-2022 edition of Advancing Research is now available to read and share. In its fifth year, the annual signature publication illustrates our ongoing research initiatives. From patient stories to scientific articles, it specifically highlights the Lung Association’s latest research contributions to defeating lung cancer, COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and COVID-19. Check out the featured content, along with past issues, at: Lung.org/advancing-research.
Recently Published Research: Dr. Christina Barkauskas of Duke University is a recently funded COVID-19 awardee. A recently published study of benchtop cell studies conducted by Barkauskas and Zach Kelleher, a laboratory technician in her lab, focused on human airway cells treated with only a buffered niclosamide solution. This study suggests that even lower doses are enough to positively affect airway cells, and this has the potential to impact COVID-19 treatment.
A second COVID-19 awardee, Marta Maria Gaglia, Ph.D. was published in Science Direct. The publication, All hands-on deck: SARS-CoV-2 proteins that block early anti-viral interferon responses – found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is responsible for the current pandemic coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Like other pathogens, SARS-CoV-2 infection can elicit production of the type I and III interferon (IFN) cytokines by the innate immune response. A rapid and robust type I and III IFN response can curb viral replication and improve clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection. To effectively replicate in the host, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved mechanisms for evasion of this innate immune response, which could also modulate COVID-19 pathogenesis.
Continuing the strong publication history of our COVID-19 Respiratory Virus Research Award research team, Marcia Goldberg, M.D. and her team have again published on their work. Their article, Alveolar, Endothelial, and Organ Injury Marker Dynamics in Severe COVID-19 was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The study examined the temporal relationship of COVID-induced injury to the lung cells (alveolar cells) and COVID-induced injury to the cells that line blood vessels (endothelial cells).
PATIENT SUPPORT
Fend Off the Flu: It’s still flu season and the Lung Association has tools and resources to help you fend off the flu:
- Webinar: The Caregivers Role in Fending Off Flu-- Understand why flu vaccination is important for adults at higher risk, the role of caregivers in protecting older adults and strategies for making vaccination a priority in long-term care settings.
- Toolkit: Promoting Flu Vaccination for Caregivers of Older Adults-- Caregivers, especially within long-term care settings, play a critical role in protecting older adults against flu. Use this guide to learn more about the caregiver's role in fending off flu.
- Toolkit: Promoting Flu Vaccination in the Workplace is now available in Spanish.
- Getting your flu shot is the best way to reduce your risk from influenza. Listen to Dr. Jay Balachandran as he shares the importance of your flu vaccine. The Fend Off Flu program is proudly supported by Anthem Foundation.
- These and other resources can be found at Lung.org/fend-off-flu.
EACH BREATH BLOG
Long COVID Consequences - One Man’s Harrowing Story: “When I got sick, no one knew what to do. It was at the time when people were going into the hospital and not coming out,” Brian recalled. Read about Brian’s experience with “Long COVID” symptoms and how he found support through the American Lung Association.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Your support makes our mission possible! Whether it’s funding research to help us end COVID-19, keeping kids off tobacco, protecting the air we breathe and so much more, it all depends on your generous support! Thank you for helping us all breathe easier together!
Blog last updated: August 23, 2023
