A new Australian trial could offer sufferers of lung disease what the simple pin-prick test has done for diabetics: daily home monitoring of their life-threatening condition.

Like 1.5 million Australians, Terry Quinlan lives with it each day.

He got it from smoking.

"Just walking up the street he gets breathless - it's the extra exertion of walking up an incline," Terry's wife Annette said.

"You can see I'm a little breathless [while walking] and to recover my breath I stop a couple of times," Terry said.

He has good days and bad days - then, he has his worst days.

"Finally got so bad that the family called an ambulance and I got carted off to hospital," Terry said.





Avoiding emergencies at home means regular monitoring at a clinic.

But it could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new home monitoring trial.

Patients breathe into a small spirometer each morning, with their data electronically sent to the clinic each day.

"[It means we could] potentially pick up a flare-up and thereby make a significant impact because you can start treatment earlier," Dr Sabine Zimmerman said.

"My mother told me when I was young that every cigarette was a nail in your coffin, and I refused to believe that - and she was right," Terry said.

Right now, researchers are seeking sufferers around Sydney for the home monitoring trial - if you'd like to take part refer to the information below:

The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research is looking for volunteers aged between 40 and 85, living in the greater Sydney area, to test a new way of monitoring lung function at home.

If you are interested in this study please call 1300 303 185 or send an email to: sabine.zimmermann@sydney.edu.au

Weekend Sunrise news break – May 16