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Short of breath? Nagging cough? If you’re a former smoker or are suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or another lung illness, Johns Hopkins’ Breathe Center may be able to help. At the same time, you can help others if you enroll in one of the center’s many studies on lung health.

The Baltimore Breathe Center, originally known as the Johns Hopkins Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment, was formed more than 20 years ago. The center has evolved to study the effects of environmental factors on lung health and specific lung diseases, according to its website.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection agency, the Breathe Center’s name is derived from their descriptive tag line: “Bridging Research, Lung Health and the Environment.”

Its physicians, residents and scientists adhere to this mission statement: “To lead the way in the research of lung disease and how environmental influences affect pulmonary health. By focusing on quality research and transparent scientific findings, we strive to engage the community through education efforts.”

The Breathe Center is located at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Asthma and Allergy Center, 5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, MD 21224.

Volunteers needed

Right now, the center is seeking volunteers with COPD for several studies, including one that compensates volunteers up to $570 for six months of participation.

In that study, Comparing Urban and Rural Effects of Poverty on COPD (CURE for short), researchers are looking at how COPD affects low-income patients.

To qualify as a volunteer for the CURE study, you must be a former smoker over age 40 with a diagnosis of COPD, chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Participants in Baltimore will have three four-hour clinic visits and three 30-minute home visits.

They will undergo spirometry, allergy testing, CT and DEXA scans. They will also receive the results of a study of their home’s air quality at the end of the study.

“The CURE study, which is one of several ongoing research projects at the Center, hopes to learn about the effects of diet, indoor air, physical activity and other factors on COPD symptoms,” Dr. Nadia Hansel, the center’s director, said in an email. COPD is the third leading cause of death in this country.

“There have been many studies about outdoor air and air pollution and how that affects people’s health. But we spend more than 80% of our time indoors, and very few studies have looked at indoor air quality and the effects on health,” Hansel said. “This is particularly important for people with COPD and asthma.”

For more information about, or to see if you qualify for, the CURE study or other studies at the Baltimore Breathe Center, visit breathecenter.org or call 410-550-2810 or 410-550-9646.