I love you with all my lungs: a viewpoint on communicating effectively and positively about lung health

Extract The respiratory community is slowly but progressively learning effective communication strategies for promoting positive messages on lung health 1, 2. Implementation research, or the systematic study of methods that support the application of research findings and other evidence-based knowledge into policy and practice 3, has been mostly used in communicable, infectious diseases, as exemplified recently with the COVID-19 pandemic 4, 5. However, it has been ill-used in noncommunicable diseases 6, particularly in chronic respiratory diseases 7. It is time to change that, as lung health is a fundamental component of overall well-being; and there cannot be health without lung health 8. After all, the vital capacity obtained by spirometry is “vital”, because its impairment is a strong predictor of mortality in otherwise healthy individuals 9. Communicating effectively about lung health is essential for raising awareness, promoting preventive behaviours, and fostering positive attitudes toward respiratory well-being.