Cork doctor saddles up to push awareness of lung disease

A Cork consultant today ditches his white coat and stethoscope for cycling shorts and a helmet as he begins training for a biking challenge from Dublin to Galway.

Consultant respiratory physician at Cork University Hospital, Dr Mike Henry, 50, this week begins several months training for the two-day 180km “Get Breathless for COPD” challenge, which aims to raise funds for the charity COPD Support Ireland, a group for patients with COPD, a chronic lung disease linked to smoking.

“COPD is a devastating chronic condition affecting over 380,000 people in Ireland; about 270,000 more remain undiagnosed,” said Dr Henry, who will undertake the cycle with medical colleagues from CUH, Dublin, Limerick and Galway.