Respiratory Clinical Trials Centre - RCTC

11/21/2023

We have a website! Check out www.ucalgary.ca/anewbreath to stay up-to-date with our ongoing studies and published works in asthma and COPD.

As Calgary's largest respiratory research centre we advance scientific and clinical knowledge in respiratory medicine through excellence in clinical research. We provide detailed clinical assessments and cutting edge therapies.

11/15/2023

On we are calling for early action on COPD.
Beyond smoking, various factors impact . This year's campaign focuses on early detection, promoting prevention and expanding treatment.
Lung health matters from day one!
Read more ➡️https://bit.ly/463A7o4

11/08/2023

Join Asthma Canada and Dr. Alan Kaplan to learn all about RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) and how RSV can impact people with lung conditions, including asthma.

We'll discuss:
- What is RSV?
- How can RSV impact at-risk groups, like people living with asthma?
- Is there a connection or link between RSV and asthma?
- If my child gets RSV, will they get asthma?
- I am an older adult living with asthma, what happens if I get RSV?
- How can I tell if I have RSV?
- What can I do to prevent RSV?
- What treatments are available?

Register here: https://bit.ly/ACWebinarRSV

10/31/2023

Wishing everyone a safe and spooky Halloween! And just a reminder: Halloween can be an especially tricky time to manage asthma symptoms, especially in children.

Keep your inhalers close at hand, and review our trigger checklist to watch out for today and tonight:

🎃 Costumes may be dusty or have other easily-inhaled allergens

🎃 Candy may contain allergens that can trigger not only an allergic reaction but an asthma attack as well

🎃 Running in cold air from house to house while trick-or-treating can trigger an exercise-induced attack

🎃 Dry ice and fog machines help set a spooky mood, but both can make breathing difficult, even for people without asthma

🎃 While most often friendly, neighbourhood ghouls & ghosts may scare your little ones enough to induce and attack

https://asthma.ca

10/10/2023

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects nearly 3.8 million Canadians! Learn more about in our infographic!

Resource Links:
https://ccapalberta.ca/your-lung-health/asthma/
https://asthma.ca/get-help/understanding-asthma/

10/06/2023

doesn't have to be out of control!
Proper treatment, knowing your triggers and following an asthma action plan can help control your asthma and life symptom-free!

The Bachelorette’s Hannah Brown, who’s had asthma since she was 5, shares her lifelong struggles with the chronic disease and how she found the strength and confidence to fulfill her dreams “one breath at a time”

10/03/2023

A great plain-language summary of the NAVIGATOR study, a clinical trial that looked at Tezepelumab for the treatment of severe asthma.

The summary answers the following:
What were the study aims?
What did the study accomplish?
What do the results mean?

What is this summary about? This is a summary of the results of 2 clinical studies that looked at a medicine called tezepelumab. Tezepelumab is approved in the United States of America (USA), the European Union (EU) and several other countries for the treatment of severe, uncontrolled asthma in peop...

09/29/2023

Health systems across Canada continue to be under immense strain, experiencing staff shortages, surgical and diagnostic backlogs, mental health and addiction issues, among other challenges. Respiratory care continues to be impacted due to these broader health system challenges.

Patients with chronic respiratory conditions continue to be frequent health system users, with approximately 80,266 emergency department visits for asthma reported in 2021. There is an opportunity here for health system and community leaders to join forces and collaborate on solutions to address these challenges in asthma care for the benefit of patients, care providers and the health system as a whole.

Asthma Canada is leading an upcoming panel discussion with Longwoods as part of their “Leadership Series” on Thursday, October 5 at 1 p.m. EST.

Join us to be part of the discussion and weigh in with your perspective on the study and its findings. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/454WCs9

09/25/2023

In honour of , Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform has put together a video highlighting some of the biggest challenges for lung health that countries are facing.

Listen to the voices of 11 global patient advocates and their thoughts on how we can improve lung health for all!

The world has been discussing lung health since the last COVID-19 pandemic, and we talk about global solutions to strengthen our healthcare and support syste...

09/25/2023

September 25th is ! Today is meant to raise awareness about lung disease and highlight the need for access to prevention and treatment for all

Forum of International Respiratory Societies - FIRS

09/21/2023

After a lengthy screening process for a COPD clinical trial, columnist Caroline Gainer learned she didn't qualify — but for a good reason. https://buff.ly/3LzGPuv

09/19/2023

In a new study, data was collected from 141 people with chronic cough to examine if a prior diagnosis of anxiety or depression had an influence on perceived cough severity.

Chronic Cough

Chronic cough affects 16% of Canadians between the ages of 45-85. The condition is commonly characterized by a persistent cough that lasts longer than 8 weeks. Chronic cough can significantly impact a person’s quality of life. For example, chronic cough can make it difficult to get through a conversation without coughing and may impair day-to-day activities such as sleeping.

Cough Severity Index

The Cough Severity Index (CSI) is a validated questionnaire used to assign a number that helps describe the impact of cough symptoms on an individual’s quality of life. A higher score reflects a greater perceived severity of cough.

Methods

After establishing a current diagnosis of chronic cough, patients were divided into 4 groups: patients with a diagnosis of anxiety only, depression only, anxiety and depression, and neither of these conditions. The main outcome of the study looked at CSI scores for each patient group and compared scores between groups to draw conclusions.

Results

The study found that those with anxiety and depression had higher CSI scores compared to those with neither condition. This meant that chronic cough patients with a diagnosis of anxiety and depression had reported more severe cough symptoms compared with patients with neither anxiety nor depression.

It is important to note that this link is only an association, not a causation. In other words, the study found a statistically significant relationship between anxiety and depression and chronic cough severity. However, it does not necessarily mean that anxiety and depression are the cause of more severe cough symptoms.

Study Significance

The results of the study may help inform physicians and help them develop a successful treatment plan for chronic cough that addresses mental health to improve overall patient quality of life.

To read the article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/01455613231180336