British Lung Foundation

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The British Lung Foundation (BLF) was a British charity that promoted lung health and supported those affected by lung disease. In January 2020, it merged with Asthma UK, to become Asthma + Lung UK. [1]

Contents

History

The British Lung Foundation was established by Professor Sir Malcolm Green and a group of British lung specialists in 1984. It maintained strong links with the medical profession, as well as utilising the talents of people from all walks of life who share a determination to try to conquer lung disease in the 21st Century.

Breathe Easy

Breathe Easy was the support network of the British Lung Foundation. The network included 150 support groups across the UK. Breathe Easy supported people through regular group meetings and offered help over the phone. There was also a pen-pal scheme, enabling people to make contact with others in the same situation. After a Breathe Easy campaign the Department of Health decided to undertake a complete review of the way oxygen was provided in England and Wales.

Campaigns

The British Lung Foundation campaigned for improvements in all areas of lung health. Breathe Easy supporters and members of the general public had worked with the BLF to ensure that these issues remained on the agenda at Westminster – and in the political chambers of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The BLF also campaigned to raise public awareness of lung disease and the impact it had on so many lives through poster campaigns, events and by maintaining a media profile.

Controversy

In June 2012 the British Lung Foundation released a report looking at the health impacts of smoking cannabis. (The report appeared to be subsequently withdrawn. [2] ) In one section, the report claimed "each cannabis cigarette increases the chances of developing lung cancer by as much as an entire packet of 20 tobacco cigarettes", and the claim received prominence in launch interviews with the then chief executive, Dame Helena Shovelton. [3] [4] [5] [6] The report supported the claim by reference to a 2008 study, "Cannabis use and risk of lung cancer: a case-control study" (Aldington et al.), published in the European Respiratory Journal . [7] That study had been challenged within the year and in the same journal, long before the BLF's claim. [8]

In a BBC radio interview on the day of the launch, [9] Kevin Williamson, author of "Drugs and the Party line", said that there was "no scientific basis to the claim", citing an earlier study of 2200 people published in Cancer Epidemiological Biomarkers and Prevention that had found "that the association of these cancers with marijuana, even long-term or heavy use, is not strong and may be below practically detectable limits", asking the charity's representative to cite the research that supported the charity's claim. When he declined to do so, Williamson accused the charity of "putting out bogus information" for "headline grabbing". On the same day, online journalist Keelan Balderson [10] accused the charity of peddling "a long debunked myth". He claimed that it was not the first such incident, citing an earlier BLF statement that "3 joints are equal to 20 cigarettes", taken from the BLF’s 2002 Smoking Gun? report. David Nutt criticised the Foundation for "scaremongering". [11] Peter Reynolds, leader of the political party Cannabis Law Reform, described the report as a "dangerously irresponsible mix of conjecture, extremist opinion and scaremongering".

The British Lung Foundation responded by asserting that the report was based on sound research, and "references over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, is the most comprehensive report of its kind yet compiled, and has itself been peer-reviewed by independent experts". [12]

Research

On average, the British Lung Foundation invested one million pounds a year in research projects aiming to improve the diagnosis or treatment of lung conditions. As a direct result of research funded by the BLF, it claimed: it is now possible to measure lung capacity in infants; the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation are demonstrable; and lung transplants are more likely to be successful.[ citation needed ]

BLF COPD Project

The British Lung Foundation’s COPD Project was a three-year project which was set up in January 2007. The aims of the project were to:

National Service Framework for COPD

The Department of Health was due to launch a new National Service Framework (NSF) for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the end of 2008. As Patient Advocate, the BLF’s Chief Executive, Helena Shovelton had been working closely with the Department of Health to support the development of the NSF for COPD. The BLF was due to support the implementation of the NSF for COPD.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-invasive ventilation</span> Breathing support administered through a face mask

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is the use of breathing support administered through a face mask, nasal mask, or a helmet. Air, usually with added oxygen, is given through the mask under positive pressure; generally the amount of pressure is alternated depending on whether someone is breathing in or out. It is termed "non-invasive" because it is delivered with a mask that is tightly fitted to the face or around the head, but without a need for tracheal intubation. While there are similarities with regard to the interface, NIV is not the same as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which applies a single level of positive airway pressure throughout the whole respiratory cycle; CPAP does not deliver ventilation but is occasionally used in conditions also treated with NIV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronchoconstriction</span> Constriction of the terminal airways in the lungs

Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respiratory disease</span> Disease of the respiratory system

Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleurae, pleural cavity, the nerves and muscles of respiration. Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting, such as the common cold, influenza, and pharyngitis to life-threatening diseases such as bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, tuberculosis, acute asthma, lung cancer, and severe acute respiratory syndromes, such as COVID-19. Respiratory diseases can be classified in many different ways, including by the organ or tissue involved, by the type and pattern of associated signs and symptoms, or by the cause of the disease.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), also known as bronchoalveolar washing, is a diagnostic method of the lower respiratory system in which a bronchoscope is passed through the mouth or nose into an appropriate airway in the lungs, with a measured amount of fluid introduced and then collected for examination. This method is typically performed to diagnose pathogenic infections of the lower respiratory airways, though it also has been shown to have utility in diagnosing interstitial lung disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage can be a more sensitive method of detection than nasal swabs in respiratory molecular diagnostics, as has been the case with SARS-CoV-2 where bronchoalveolar lavage samples detect copies of viral RNA after negative nasal swab testing.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronchitis</span> Inflammation of the large airways in the lungs

Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. Symptoms include coughing up sputum, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obstructive lung disease</span> Category of respiratory disease characterized by airway obstruction

Obstructive lung disease is a category of respiratory disease characterized by airway obstruction. Many obstructive diseases of the lung result from narrowing (obstruction) of the smaller bronchi and larger bronchioles, often because of excessive contraction of the smooth muscle itself. It is generally characterized by inflamed and easily collapsible airways, obstruction to airflow, problems exhaling, and frequent medical clinic visits and hospitalizations. Types of obstructive lung disease include; asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although COPD shares similar characteristics with all other obstructive lung diseases, such as the signs of coughing and wheezing, they are distinct conditions in terms of disease onset, frequency of symptoms, and reversibility of airway obstruction. Cystic fibrosis is also sometimes included in obstructive pulmonary disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indacaterol</span> Chemical compound

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiotropium bromide</span> Long-acting bronchodilator in the maintenance of COPD and asthma

Tiotropium bromide, sold under the brand name Spiriva among others, is a long-acting bronchodilator used in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Specifically it is used during periods of breathing difficulty to prevent them from getting worse, rather than to prevent them from happening. It is used by inhalation through the mouth. Onset typically begins within half an hour and lasts for 24 hours.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease</span> Lung disease involving long-term poor airflow

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD 2024 defined COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms due to abnormalities of the airways and/or alveoli (emphysema) that cause persistent, often progressive, airflow obstruction.

The Canadian Lung Association is a national organization and volunteer-based health charity that supports lung health research, education, prevention of disease/disorders and advocacy in Canada.

Physiotherapists treating patients following uncomplicated coronary artery bypass surgery surgery continue to use interventions such as deep breathing exercises that are not supported by best available evidence. Standardised guidelines may be required to better match clinical practice with current literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emphysema</span> Medical condition

Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema.

Anna Louise Hansell is a British physician who is Professor of Environmental Epidemiology and Director of the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hansell studied the relationship between pollution and COVID-19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoker's macrophages</span>

Smoker’s macrophages are alveolar macrophages whose characteristics, including appearance, cellularity, phenotypes, immune response, and other functions, have been affected upon the exposure to cigarettes. These altered immune cells are derived from several signaling pathways and are able to induce numerous respiratory diseases. They are involved in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer. Smoker’s macrophages are observed in both firsthand and secondhand smokers, so anyone exposed to cigarette contents, or cigarette smoke extract (CSE), would be susceptible to these macrophages, thus in turns leading to future complications.

References

  1. "Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation set to merge". Civil Society. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. As of July 2019 neither this report, nor the 2002 report A Smoking Gun?, can be found on the charity’s website.
  3. Shovelton’s background was as administrator rather than scientist or researcher.
  4. "Young cannabis users 'do not realise the huge danger to their health'". The Independent. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  5. "cannabis joint a day 'is as bad as 20 cigarettes'" http://www.metro.co.uk/news/901160-one-cannabis-joint-a-day-is-as-bad-as-20-cigarettes
  6. "Lack of awareness over cannabis risks 'alarming'" http://www.channel4.com/news/lack-of-awareness-over-cannabis-risks-alarming
  7. Aldington S; Harwood M; Cox B; et al. (February 2008). "Cannabis use and risk of lung cancer: a case-control study". Eur. Respir. J. 31 (2): 280–6. doi:10.1183/09031936.00065707. PMC   2516340 . PMID   18238947.
  8. Sewell, RA; Cohn, AJ; Chawarski, MC (September 2008). "Doubts about the role of cannabis in causing lung cancer". Eur. Respir. J. 32 (3): 815–6. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00051108 . PMID   18757709.
  9. "Call Kaye" Radio Scotland, Wed 6 June 2012.
  10. Keelan Balderson, "Mainstream Media Peddle Tired Cannabis Cancer Myth" http://wideshut.co.uk/mainstream-media-peddle-tired-cannabis-cancer-myth/
  11. Nutt, David (11 June 2012). "Smoke without fire? Scaremongering by the British Lung Foundation over cannabis vs tobacco" . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  12. "Health risks of cannabis 'underestimated', experts warn". BBC News. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2023.