PAWTUCKET - If you knew that you had the lungs of an 80-year-old in your 40-year-old body, would you change your behavior to improve your health? 

If you could lose weight and keep it off from the comfort of your home instead of with frequent face-to-face visits, would you do it? 

To answer these questions, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded two multi-year grants to researchers at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. The $7 million translational grants will enable researchers to study best practices for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of two major health issues facing Americans today - chronic obstructive lung disease and obesity. 

"Primary care has long been a focus of Memorial Hospital," stated President and CEO Francis R. Dietz. "As a community hospital, we are proud to be able to extend primary care research to physician offices throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. 

Lung Age

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and is increasing in frequency. It is a disease that is under recognized and, as such, under treated. However, if primary care physicians could diagnose patients earlier and treat more effectively those with (COPD), sometimes called emphysema and or chronic bronchitis, then they could help patients live longer and healthier lives.  

Donna Parker, Sc.D. is principal investigator of the five-year $3.58 million NIH grant. In collaboration with Drs. Eaton (Co-Principal Investigator), F. Dennis McCool, M.D. and Eleanor M. Summerhill, M.D., (Co-investigators) of Memorial’s Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the researchers will study how to best implement established COPD guidelines into primary care practice.

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