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28.07.2009 1:58

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I'm a Nonsmoker, But I Have Emphysema Due to a Rare Genetic Condition

28.07.2009 1:58

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Bob Campbell, 64, has struggled with lung problems all his life. He had severe asthma as a child, frea quent lung infections as a young man, and diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at a very early age—his late 20s. But it wasn't until this former newspaper reporter and editor from Prince Edward Island, Canada, was 55 that he found he had a genetic condition known as alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency. AAT is a protein that protects the lungs from diseases like emphysema, which is a type of COPD. Such a delayed diagnosis is not unusual: Fewer than 1 in 10 people with AAT deficiency know they have the condition. Today Campbell lives in Coral Gables, Fla., not far from the Alpha-1 Foundation headquarters, where he works as the communications manager and tries to increase awareness of this rare disorder. According to the foundation, about 100,000 Americans have a genetic AAT deficiency. Read more »

What Is COPD?

28.07.2009 1:58

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