LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CHEST Foundation, in partnership with BREATHE California of Los Angeles County (BREATHE LA), will be hosting a free "Lung Health Experience" during the CHEST Annual Meeting 2016 on Saturday, October 22, 2016, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at The Bloc in downtown Los Angeles. Open to the public, the free event aims to build awareness of lung health, screen for COPD, promote healthy lung habits and provide patient education on lung health conditions.
Lung health in Los Angeles is a serious concern. Of the estimated 550,000 adults with COPD living in Southern California, 197,000 of them live in Los Angeles County alone. That is in addition to the 1,221,000 children and adults within Los Angeles County diagnosed with asthma. Lung cancer is also the fourth-leading cause of death in California as of 2010.
At the Lung Health Experience, attendees can participate in a variety of interactive activities highlighting lung health conditions and diseases. Clinician volunteers from the CHEST Foundation will be providing an "Ask the Lung Health Expert" booth to answer questions about asthma, sleep, COPD, lung cancer and other lung health-related topics. Attendees can receive spirometry testing for COPD and experience what it is like to live with COPD by trying on an empathy vest designed to simulate the breathing experience of a person with COPD. BREATHE LA will have experts and volunteers available to provide environmental and lung health education information and patient education materials on how to create a safe and healthy environment for those living with conditions such as asthma and COPD. This tremendous lung health community service effort would not be possible, without the generous support of AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline and ndd Medical Technologies.
Location: The Bloc, 700 South Flower, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Saturday, October 22, 2016, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
About BREATHE LA
BREATHE LA focus on COPD is driven by its Board of Directors, which includes researchers and medical professionals in The Trudeau Society of Los Angeles, a membership driven network of lung health professionals. BREATHE LA is a public benefit non-profit organization committed to better lung health and clean air for Los Angeles County area residents. BREATHE LA promotes asthma and COPD quality-of-life initiatives through community education and awareness efforts, particularly committed to improving lung health among those most disproportionately affected by poor environmental health and air quality. Through a partnership with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, BREATHE LA established a COPD Regional Center in the western U.S. to raise COPD awareness and share best practices among health service providers. BREATHE LA programs include the Better Breather's Club® support group for individuals diagnosed with COPD® and O24u® youth education program promoting sustainable behaviors in support of a healthier environment and greater lung health.
About CHEST and the CHEST Foundation
CHEST is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. CHEST serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST, visit chestnet.org.
The CHEST Foundation's mission is to champion lung health. The foundation fulfills its mission through the development and dissemination of world-class patient education materials and programs, clinical research grants and community service efforts. Since 1996, the foundation has provided more than $10 million in grants to young investigators and distinguished scholars for outstanding work in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information about the CHEST Foundation, visit chestnet.org/foundation.
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