Inventing a Future Free from Lung Disease

I’m pleased to announce the 2012 President’s Research Report, which reveals some of the groundbreaking research being done to help meet the American Lung Association’s vision of a world free from lung disease.

Thanks to your generosity, last year the American Lung Association was able to provide $5 million in funding for lung disease research. These research efforts support the inventive and inquisitive medical minds striving for a world in which lung cancer doesn’t cut lives short, where COPD doesn’t rob millions of breath and asthma attacks are no longer feared by more than seven million children.

I invite you to learn more about our passionate and dedicated researchers and the pioneering work that you’re supporting. Research by our highly successful American Lung Association Asthma Clinical Research Centers Network (ACRC), recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that prescription acid controllers were ineffective in managing asthma in children without symptoms of acid reflux, mirroring findings from an earlier study among adults. The significance of this discovery is tremendous; many physicians prescribe these acid controllers to patients who have no reflux symptoms intending to reduce their asthma symptoms. Approximately 1.5 million asthma patients will be able to discontinue this form of treatment, resulting in a potential savings in health care expenses of at least $1.1 billion dollars each year. Read the full story on our website.

This and other kinds of research are critical to our comprehensive approach to lung health. The 2012 President’s Research Report focuses on current ACRC studies as well as those being funded through our Awards and Grants Program.

We invite you to view the full President’s Research Report on our websiteand we remind you that these researchers can’t do this work alone. Our continued quest for treatments and cures requires ongoing and consistent funding. Please consider making a gift today to ensure our continued fight for healthy lungs and healthy air is armed with current and relevant research.

Sincerely,

Charles D. Connor
President and CEO
American Lung Association

Our experts are here to help! Our Lung HelpLine is a toll-free resource for patients and caregivers. Speak with qualified professionals on lung health related topics, including lung cancer, asthma, COPD and quitting smoking. Call 1-800-586-4872 Monday–Friday from 7 a.m.–11 p.m. TTY service is available at 1-800-501-1068.