TOP NEWS
Working for Healthy Air! Two new reports shine a spotlight on how our air can be made healthier and lives can be saved by reducing the impacts of combustion-based technologies:
- Clean Trucks Report: Truck traffic produces harmful pollution and contributes to major disparities in exposure burdens faced by lower-income communities and communities of color. According to our new report, “Delivering Clean Air: Health Benefits of Zero-Emission Trucks and Electricity,” a move to zero-emission trucks could save more than 66,000 lives, result in $735 billion in public health benefits over the next 30 years and help create a more equitable future.
- Combustion in Homes Report: On September 14, we released a new report, "Health Impacts of Combustion in Homes," exploring the health and environmental impacts of indoor residential combustion, which includes gas appliances, woodburning stoves and fireplaces. The report reviews the literature on the number and type of appliances in US homes, their emissions, and impacts on health and the indoor and outdoor environment.
Rose Garden Celebration on Healthcare Wins: On September 27, representatives of the American Lung Association attended a ceremony hosted by President Biden for health groups in the Rose Garden, celebrating recent healthcare wins. These include the extension of the enhanced advanced premium tax credits (one of our 2022 LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day asks), capping prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2000 a year and covering vaccines for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees without cost-sharing.
Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from COVID-19: Learn what to do to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Learn more about the BA.5 variant. Please GIVE to the COVID-19 Action Initiative so we can help end COVID-19 and defend against future respiratory viruses. Find the latest information at Lung.org/covid19 and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram social channels and share these timely messages with your network.
Listen to Lungcast™: Could a repository of CT scans and clinical information provide critical clues about rare lung diseases? On our latest Lungcast™ episode, we are joined by Elizabeth Estes, executive director of Open Source Imaging Consortium, and Dr. Simon Walsh, consultant radiologist and NIHR clinician scientist, to discuss the exciting roles of machine learning and algorithms on enhancing our disease knowledge. Tune in at: Lung.org/lungcast.
SUPPORT THE LUNG ASSOCIATION
Sign up NOW for Fall Walks! Show your support for lung health and help drive our lifesaving mission forward. Explore our events that appeal to a full range of interests.
Donate at Checkout with Ebay: In honor of Respiratory Care Week, eBay shoppers will have the opportunity to donate to the American Lung Association at checkout from October 23-30. Check out eBay for fall deals or to get a jump start on your holiday shopping and support the mission of the Lung Association. eBay for Charity enables members of the eBay community to connect with and support their favorite charities when they buy or sell in the U.S.
Make a Difference with a Vehicle Donation: Did you know that you can donate a vehicle to the Lung Association? Your donation will provide funding for important research, education and advocacy that can help save lives. Learn more about our Vehicle Donation Program. Donating is easy with free pick-up and support – in fact, each vehicle donation is tax deductible!
LUNG CANCER
Lung Cancer Awareness Month: During November’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we will be uniting the nation to stand together against lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Next month, the Lung Association will be sharing lung cancer resources, our State of Lung Cancer Report, inspiring patient stories and lifesaving information about lung cancer screening. Learn more at Lung.org/LCAM
LUNG FORCE Hero: As a four-time cancer survivor, Esther V. is grateful to be able to share her story. Most recently, she credits early detection with saving her life from stage-1 lung cancer. “After defeating lung cancer, I started volunteering to give back and learn more of the importance of our lung health. Now, I get to share my story with others and advocate for continued lung cancer research and affordable healthcare,” she says. Read more of her story.
PATIENT SUPPORT
Giving a Voice to Those Managing Childhood Asthma: The American Lung Association along with asthma partners released the Voice of the Patient report about asthma in childhood as part of the Little Airways, Big Voices Initiative. Also, as part of this initiative is the #myasthmastory infographic generator. This is a web-based tool designed to help patients, caregivers and healthcare providers visually tell their experience with asthma by answering a few questions to create a custom infographic. Participants can post to social media or bring a copy to their next office visit!
Join the Better Breathers Network, the Lung Association’s nationwide online support program providing direct access to lung disease management tools, education and connection to other patients and caregivers. Learn more at Lung.org/BBN
RESEARCH
Lung Health Cohort Research Study Now Enrolling: How does lung disease develop in young lungs? That’s one of the main questions to be answered by a pioneering long-term study of young adult lungs. The American Lung Association Lung Health Cohort Research Study will track 4,000 young adults at an age of peak lung health in order to understand how lung disease starts and how lung function declines over time. Knowing those things will help predict and prevent lung disease. Recruitment efforts have begun at many top institutions across the country. Learn more at: Lung.org/lung-study
IRB00236497 | Principal Investigator: Dr. Elizabeth Sugar
Continuing to Increase Our Research Investment: The Lung Association is proud to announce we are investing an additional $13.1 million to accelerate lung health research for 2022-2023. “The American Lung Association is investing in the top scientific minds to find better ways to reduce the burden of lung disease and investigate the long-term impacts of lung health challenges,” said our National President and CEO Harold Wimmer. Meet the scientists who are helping to make a difference: Lung.org/research-team
HEALTHY AIR
IAQ Awareness Month: October’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) awareness month reminds us that IAQ is important for everyone, not just those who have an existing lung disease. Particulate matter, the small airborne solids and liquids too small to see, are a leading indoor air pollutant. Particulate matter and other pollutants in household air inflame the airways and lungs, impair immune response, and reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Particulate matter is linked to lung cancer, COPD, lower respiratory infections, heart disease, and stroke. Learn more about How IAQ Affects Your Lungs and steps you can take to reduce particulate matter in the home.
EACH BREATH BLOG
Why is it easier to start smoking menthol, and harder to quit? Find out in our latest blog “The Science Behind the Addictiveness of Menthol.” Don’t forget to check out and share our other blogs!
Your support is more important than ever!
Because of your support, we are conducting research to discover new ways to prevent, treat and even cure lung diseases like COVID-19, COPD, lung cancer and more. Your support makes our diverse and lifesaving work possible. Thank you for all you do to help during this most critical time!
Blog last updated: August 21, 2023
