Checking in on the Lung Health Cohort Research Study

Key Takeaways

The Lung Health Cohort trial aims to create a comprehensive data pool for chronic respiratory disease progression in young adults.
The trial seeks to identify patterns related to lifestyle, demographics, and potential biomarkers for COPD and lung cancer.
Experts discussed the trial's design, progress, recruitment challenges, and industry support in a recent Lungcast episode.
The trial's findings could significantly impact understanding and management of respiratory diseases.

A trio of stakeholders join Lungcast to discuss the ongoing, long-term assessment into the patterns and drivers of chronic lung disease in a real-world cohort.

Episode Highlights

0:15 Intro
1:10 Introducing the Lung Health Cohort Research Study
3:49 The enrollment strategy
7:10 Seeking “the cholesterol of lung disease”
11:50 The role of industry support
14:09 Imaging strategies for long-term lung assessment
17:59 Recruitment challenges
23:05 Final thoughts
26:20 Outro

The American Lung Association (ALA) Lung Health Cohort Research Study is aiming to provide pulmonary specialists what is available in spades across specialties like cardiovascular medicine: a robust data pool defining the progression of chronic disease in young adults.

The ongoing cohort trial aims to discern patterns in respiratory disease progression as they relate to lifestyle choices and patient demographics; it could potentially highlight new biomarkers for COPD and lung cancer, or refine understanding of the impact of environmental or socioeconomic factors on how asthma worsens over time. As is often the case with ongoing, longterm analyses, the potential for impact on the field is high.

In the latest episode of Lungcast, a trio of expert stakeholders in the Lung Health Cohort Research Study join the show to discuss its design, progress and potential. The featured guests include:

Ravi Kalhan, MD, Louis A. Simpson Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
George Washko, MD, professor at Harvard Medical School and physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Amy Olson, MD, MSPH, executive director of medical affairs for Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Pharmaceuticals

Lungcast is a monthly respiratory health podcast series hosted by Albert Rizzo, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association (ALA), and produced by HCPLive and the ALA.

Rizzo and the group discuss the parameters of the ongoing, 4000-participant cohort, including its initial observations, hurdles in recruitment and representation, the utility of assessments, and support from industry including BI.

Subscribe to Lungcast on Spotify here, or listen to the episode below.