If you or anyone you know has exercise induced asthma, we are offering a $10 gift card and free testing for AAT, another lung disease, commonly misdiagnosed for exercise-induced asthma. Alpha 1-Antitrypsin deficiency (AAT) is a genetically inherited, debilitating, and fatal respiratory and liver disease. AAT is a protein produced by the liver that inactivates various enzymes throughout the body, particularly those affecting the respiratory system. The lack of this protein can lead to a chronic, uninhibited breakdown of tissues, which in turn can lead to fatal diseases like emphysema. A recent study (Luisetti and Seersholm) suggests that there may be over 26 million cases of some expression of the disease in the United States alone. Out of these cases very few will ever be diagnosed. Misdiagnosis is often due to symptoms that mimic other common respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Exercise-induced asthma however is much less understood. Our study involves taking a sample of people who have been struggling with exercise-induced asthma and testing their AAT levels. We expect to see a correlation between their respiratory symptoms and a genetic variation of the Alpha 1-Antitrypsin gene.
