Meeting Will Discuss Alpha 1 Form Of Emphysema

Suffering from alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency?

You’re not alone.

A meeting for those with the ailment, their families and friends, will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 14, at Cavanaugh’s River Inn.

Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, a form of emphysema, is a genetic lung disorder that affects some 40,000 Americans.

And the numbers are growing.

“A lot of people are being misdiagnosed,” said Pat Williams, organizer of the session. “My friend in Montana was misdiagnosed for 10 years.”

If it goes untreated, it can be fatal.

Williams lost her brother and sister to the disorder.

Alpha 1 results from a lack of protective protein. In healthy individuals, the protein protects lungs from an enzyme that helps the lungs fight bacteria. Without the protein, the enzyme can damage lung tissue.

There’s no cure yet, but there are treatments like Prolastin infusions to help patients live longer and fuller lives.

Guest speakers will be Vicki Tody of Quantum Health Resources, a facilitator of information and support for the disorder, and Carol Smith of the Bayer Biological Division, which manufactures Prolastin. They will discuss the disorder and its various treatments.

The meeting will help determine how many area residents have Alpha 1, and to start a support group.

For more information, call Williams at 747-8979.

HealthTalks resume

Attention Deficit Disorder will be discussed at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at Rockwood Clinic, 400 E. Fifth, as the clinic begins its fourth season of health education programs.

Dr. Stephen Luber, a pediatrician, will discuss the diagnosis and treatment of the learning disorder.

There is no charge to attend, but reservations are requested. For more information, call 459-1561.