World Lung Day 2022

World Lung Day is an annual occurrence on the 25th September, which aims to promote better lung health. Poor lung health can lead to many conditions, including asthma, a chronic condition of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing, that affects over 12% of the UK population¹. But thanks to technologies like Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) monitoring with the NObreath®, Healthcare Professionals can offer patients a quick, easy, and non-invasive, method which helps in the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma.

Airway inflammation is a central process in asthma and other lung diseases². Nitric Oxide (NO) is naturally produced by your body to help combat inflammation and when your airway is inflamed, NO is produced in the lungs and exhaled on the breath³. NO is exhaled in very miniscule particles known as Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) and is measured in parts per billion (ppb).

A FeNO test can help to differentiate between allergic (eosinophilic) and non-allergic asthma⁴, identify patients who do/do not require ongoing treatment⁵, and help predict and prevent asthma attacks⁶.

To learn more about how FeNO testing can improve asthma care and more, please watch The Role of FeNO in Primary Care Respiratory Diagnostics.

References

1. Asthma statistics | British Lung Foundation [Internet]. Statistics.blf.org.uk. 2022 [cited 14 September 2022]. Available from: https://statistics.blf.org.uk/asthma
2. Shelhamer JH, Levine SJ, Wu T, Jacoby DB, Kaliner MA, Rennard SI. NIH conference: airway inflammation. Ann Intern Med 1995;123:288-304.
3. ATS/ERS Recommendations for Standardized Procedures for the Online and Offline Measurement of Exhaled Lower Respiratory Nitric Oxide and Nasal Nitric Oxide, 2005; American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine; vol. 171: 912-930;2005
4. Coumou HBel E. Improving the diagnosis of eosinophilic asthma [Internet]. Taylor and Francis online. 2017 [cited 23 September 2022]. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17476348.2017.1236688
5. D R Taylor, MW Pinenburg, A D Smith and J C D Jongste. Exhaled nitric oxide measurements: clinical application and interpretation. Thorax 2006;61:817-827.
6. Harkins M. Exhaled Nitric Oxide Predicts Asthma Exacerbation [Internet]. Taylor & Francis. 2017 [cited 23 September 2022]. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/JAS-120033990