Month: April 2018

Maidstone, Kent, tackled the heatwave on Sunday to run the London Marathon for Asthma UK

Local man, Andy Smith, finally runs his first marathon on Sunday 22nd April after an injury set him back last year.

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease which can also be fatal, has been raising more concerns than ever after Asthma UK found that over 120,000 asthma sufferers in the UK are at risk from wrongly prescribed medication and a study by NICE revealed that 30% of people with asthma are suspected to have been misdiagnosed.

“I chose Asthma UK for many reasons, but mainly I want to raise awareness of the dangers of asthma and just how many people it affects; approximately 250,000 people die prematurely each year from asthma and almost all of these deaths are avoidable1. As someone who was misdiagnosed with asthma myself, I understand its importance and want others to be aware.”

“I was all set to partake in the Marathon last year but 2 weeks before I unfortunately injured my Achilles and was unable to take part. After PEMF therapy and rest I was able to start training again. All my training was in the winter, so none of it had prepared me for the hottest London Marathon ever recorded, but I did it and I’m pretty happy with my time, 4 hours and 37 minutes.”

Andy’s company, Bedfont® also manufactures the NObreath® FeNO monitor, which has been helping to improve asthma diagnosis and management for over 10 years. Known as the unpredictable killer because, according to Asthma UK, it is still very much a misunderstood condition, Andy also wants to raise awareness of how the NObreath® can address these concerns. Interpreting FeNO levels with the NObreath® can aid in identifying patients who do/do not require on-going treatment2, whilst differentiating between allergic (eosinophilic) and non-allergic asthma3. If used daily, FeNO measurements can also help to predict exacerbations and attacks4.

Andy was one of many who ran 26.2 miles in the record-breaking heat. After fundraising through coffee mornings, raffles and getting his legs waxed live on Facebook, Andy managed to raise £1810 for the charity, which aims to raise awareness of the chronic respiratory disease.

REFERENCES

1.     Asthma Statistics | AAAAI [Internet]. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2018 [cited 23 April 2018]. Available from: http://www.aaaai.org/about-aaaai/newsroom/asthma-statistics

2.     Andrew D. Smith, Jan O. Cowan, Sue Filsell, Chris MacLachlan, Gabrielle Monti-Sheehan, Pamela Jackson and D. Robin Taylor. Diagnosing Asthma: Comparisons between Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measurements and Conventional Tests. Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol 169. pp 473-478, 2004.

3.     Coumou HBel E. Improving the diagnosis of eosinophilic asthma [Internet]. Taylor and Francis online. 2017 [cited 20 April 2018]. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17476348.2017.1236688

4.     Harkins M. Exhaled Nitric Oxide Predicts Asthma Exacerbation [Internet]. Taylor & Francis. 2017 [cited 20 April 2018]. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/JAS-120033990

Bedfont Scientific Ltd. need the public to vote for them to become the European Public Champion and represent the UK in the European Business Awards.

The European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM, is a cross-industry and cross-border business competition which aims to recognise and reward companies that help tackle the major issues faced by Europe and the world. Bedfont has submitted their video entry to represent the UK and now needs the help of the public to be voted the European Public Winner.

Established in 1976, Bedfont specialises in the design and manufacture of breath analysis medical devices. These include carbon monoxide (CO) monitors such as the Smokerlyzer, used for smoking cessation, and the ToxCO, to screen for CO poisoning. Their NObreath FeNO monitor helps to improve asthma management, whilst the Gastrolyzer range aids in the detection of gastrointestinal disorders and food intolerances. With only 42 members in the Bedfont family, they are revered as pioneers in the breath analysis market with products available in over 70 countries.

Jason Smith, Managing Director at Bedfont, says, “We’re a niche British company with innovative products that really have an impact on people’s lives. We have made a video entry for the awards which tells you a little more about who the Bedfont family are and what we do. With less than a month to go, we really need your help – please watch our video and find out why you should pick us we would love to represent the UK!”

To watch the video and vote for Bedfont, please click here: https://www.businessawardseurope.com/vote/detail-new/28/23920. To vote, you need to enter your email (bottom right) and then click the confirmation link you will receive by email. Public voting closes at 17:00 (CET) on Friday 4th May 2018.