Research to determine the real impact of occupation and asthma

New study aims to help up to 3,000 people in the UK who develop asthma every year as a result of their work - News Release

News Release
Issued by Asthma UK

Wednesday 21 November 2007

Researchers are looking into the link between asthma and different occupations, in order to help up to 3,000 people every year in the UK who develop asthma as a result of their work.

The research, which is funded by Asthma UK, aims to identify the major occupations and occupational exposures that are associated with asthma, as well as highlight the scale of the problem. It will be carried out by researchers from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London in collaboration with those at St George's Medical School, University of London, and is likely to confirm associations between asthma and occupations such as those of bakers and cleaners, where there is growing evidence of occupational asthma. However, the research will also aim to identify other occupations and their respiratory sensitisers that have not previously been linked with asthma.

The research will analyse data collected from the National Child Development Study, one of the world's largest multidisciplinary programmes of research into asthma, which has collated data about the physical, educational and social development of 10,000 people born in one week in 1958. Other information, such as their asthma and allergy status and their genetic make-up, will be analysed alongside their full employment history, to give an insight into which occupations are more strongly linked with asthma and also whether people with asthma have more unemployment and more job changes than people without asthma.

Approximately 12.7m working days are lost to asthma each year in the UK with the annual cost to society estimated to be GBP 2.3bn. The Health and Safety Executive estimates that between 1,500 and 3,000 people in Great Britain develop occupational asthma each year and up to 25 per cent of individuals who are exposed to certain substances at work will go on to develop asthma.

Lead researcher Dr Debbie Jarvis, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, recognises the scale of the problem. She said: "Although many people develop their asthma in childhood we know that some occupations may cause asthma in those who have not had symptoms before. The work we are planning to do will help assess the impact of work on asthma and the impact of asthma on the working lives of people with asthma."

Dr Victoria King, Research Development Manager at Asthma UK, comments: "Asthma UK supports this research to determine the levels of occupational asthma in the UK and the need for employers to recognise potential sensitisers and triggers in the workplace. At least 1 in 10 cases of new or recurrent adult asthma is attributable to occupation and we encourage employers to sign up to Asthma UK's Workplace Charter, set up in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive, which sets out 10 steps to reduce the impact of asthma in the workplace."

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For more information please contact the Asthma UK media office on 020 7786 4949 or via email at mediaoffice@asthma.org.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. About Asthma UK

Asthma UK is the major funder of asthma research in the UK. Each year we spend approximately GBP 3 million on research which includes project grants, four fellows, and two professors.

Asthma UK is the charity dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the 5.2 million people in the UK whose lives are affected by asthma. For up-to-date news on asthma, information and publications, visit the Asthma UK website asthma.org.uk

For independent and confidential advice on asthma, call the Asthma UK Adviceline, which is staffed by asthma nurse specialists. It is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm on 08457 01 02 03. Or email an asthma nurse at asthma.org.uk/adviceline

2. About Imperial College London

Rated as the world's fifth best university in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement University Rankings, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 11,500 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

With 66 Fellows of the Royal Society among our current academic staff and distinguished past members of the College including 14 Nobel Laureates and two Fields Medallists, Imperial's contribution to society has been immense. Inventions and innovations include the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of our research for the benefit of all continues today with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle climate change and mathematical modelling to predict and control the spread of infectious diseases.

The College's 100 years of living science will be celebrated throughout 2007 with a range of events to mark the Centenary of the signing of Imperial's founding charter on 8 July 1907. Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

3. About the National Heart and Lung Institute

The National Heart and Lung Institute is a division of Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine. Research at the frontiers of scientific and medical knowledge is a major feature of the academic activity of the Institute. The Department of Respiratory Epidemiology and Public Health and the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine conduct research concerned with the environmental and occupational and lifestyle causes of lung disease including asthma and allergy. The research includes epidemiological studies conducted in the UK and overseas and both departments receive some core funding from the Department of Health.