SPIROMICS and SOURCE Summer 2024 Newsletter

A New Chapter for SPIROMICS

Your time and participation in understanding lung health is helping lead to many important discoveries. Together, we are exploring ways to help prevent lung disease and improve medical care. 

That is why we are eager to share the news that SPIROMICS would like to continue into a third phase. So, what does that mean for us?

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is hoping to continue funding this important research. That means we would like to continue to stay connected with you through periodic phone calls. Sometime in the next few years we hope we will see you again in-person. This news has SPIROMICS researchers extremely excited. 

Our continued partnership with you will enhance this important research. The more we learn from you over time, the more we can improve lung health.

Be on the lookout for phone calls and text messages from SPIROMICS with more information on how you can remain involved.

Thank you for all of your time and effort as a study participant. Truly, we are grateful for your continued participation in this important research. 

Lung Health Discoveries

Why do some cigarette smokers develop lung problems at an early age, but others do not? 

To know more about the first signs of lung disease, the SOURCE study is recruiting younger people who have smoked, or who currently smoke. 

This means that SOURCE is now a sister study to SPIROMICS. It extends our study population to age 30 to 80-year-olds. 

To learn more about SOURCE, please visit the SOURCE study website.

How Are You Sleeping? 

At times, many people struggle to get good rest. If that is how you feel right now, you are not alone. Many people visit their healthcare providers with concerns about being too tired during the day.

Notice Patterns

Talking to someone like a healthcare provider, family members, or friends, may help you notice patterns. You also may notice patterns in how much sleep you get and your restfulness during the day. Another way to see patterns is to create a sleep journal.

Your Sleep Journal 

Creating a sleep journal is an effective way to record your sleep history. If you have worries or concerns about good sleep, talk to your healthcare provider. Bring along your sleep journal. It can be an excellent tool to help your doctor understand your day-to-day experience. See an example sleep journal. You can also ask your healthcare provider about treatment options. 

Rest is Productive 

Every system in the human body is at work during sleep. That includes the lungs and heart (according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke).  

Sleep and SPIROMICS

SPIROMICS researchers collaborate with you to gain knowledge about the lung and heart systems. So, your participation in SPIROMICS research helps us learn more about sleep and lung health. We hope to help others living with COPD risk receive the care they need.

Research Highlight: Sleep Apnea

Recently, the SPIROMICS study shared findings about COPD and the risk of one sleep disorder called sleep apnea. You can read this recent publication from SPIROMICS researchers here: Lung Structure and Risk of Sleep Apnea in SPIROMICS. Journal of the COPD Foundation. DOI: 10.15326/jcopdf.2023.0411.

Acknowledgements 

SPIROMICS is supported by NIH/NHLBI contracts (HHSN268200900013C, HHSN268200900014C, HHSN268200900015C, HHSN268200900016C, HHSN268200900017C, HHSN268200900018C, HHSN268200900019C, HHSN268200900020C) and grants (U01 HL137880, U24 HL141762, R01 HL182622, and R01 HL144718).  SOURCE is supported by NIH/NHLBI grant (R01 HL144718). SPIROMICS and SOURCE are supplemented by contributions made through the Foundation for the NIH and the COPD Foundation from Amgen; AstraZeneca/MedImmune; Bayer; Bellerophon Therapeutics; Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.; Forest Research Institute, Inc.; Genentech; GlaxoSmithKline; Grifols Therapeutics, Inc.; Ikaria, Inc.; MGC Diagnostics; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Nycomed GmbH; Polarean; ProterixBio; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Sanofi; Sunovion; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company; and Theravance Biopharma and Mylan/Viatris. The newsletter was developed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center, IRB #: 10-0048 (SPIROMICS) and 20-2236 (SOURCE). Lung radiograph image from the CDC PHIL, #16381. Cup photo: Amenic181/stock.adobe.com.