Corrie icon supports lung research project

Corrie icon Liz Dawn is supporting a lung research project in Salford. The actress famed for her role as Vera Duckworth will share her battle with lung disease to encourage others get tested.

Liz left Coronation street in 2008 after more than three decades as her incurable lung disease got too bad too work through. The 72 year old had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) back in 2003.

Many sufferers have a combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis caused by the inability of the lungs to clear mucus, which then becomes infected. Emphysema can be the result of pollution but in Liz’s case it was smoking, the main cause of the disease in the UK.

Today she'll share her story as part of a drive to get people to joint the Salford Lung Study. It's described as an innovative 'real-world' research project to study the safety and effectiveness of a late-stage investigational respiratory medicine alongside currently available treatments, as thousands of patients manage their chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma day to day.

A road show will be held at the Lowry shopping centre in Salford aims to recruit more patients. A team of community nurses will be available on the stand to discuss the study with interested members of the public, talk through a screening questionnaire, and take details of interested patients to pass to GP sites.