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Post by David on Jan 20, 2015 19:21:57 GMT -5
About a month ago I ordered a AlphaKit from the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin screening program in Tallahassee, Florida.
I have had the test run here where I live at the local Hospital. It was negative.
I wanted to know what the main Alpha-1 Center had to say. They allow everyone in Florida 1 free test to identify a genetic cause of COPD or to rule out Alpha-1-antitrypsim deficiency (AAT).
I took the kit to my Doctor about 2 weeks ago and he had the nurse to stick my finger and put some blood on the paper that was furnished with the kit.
The nurse called today and said the test results had came back. She said it was negative. I do not have alpha-1-antitypsim deficiency.
Usually if you get COPD at a young age you generally have the deficiency. I was 32 year old when I was diagnosed with Emphysema.
So this makes my story about the oilfield even more credible. I had repeated pneumonia while working in the oilfield. Was diagnosed with Emphysema after the 3rd time in the Hospital in 3 years. Never had any more problem with pneumonia after I quit the oilfield over 30 years ago.
Who should be tested?
The American Thoracic Society Guideline recommendations are:
1. All adults with symptomatic emphysema or COPD regardless of smoking history.
2. All adults with symptomatic asthma whose airflow obstruction is incompletely reversible after bronchodilator therapy.
3. Asymptomatic patients with persistent obstruction on pulmonary function tests with identifiable risk factors (eg, smoking, occupational exposure)
4. Siblings of individuals with AAT deficiency.
An estimated 100,000 Americans have AAT deficiency--fewer than 10% of patients have been identified.
AAT dificiency is responsible for up to 3% of COPD cases in the United States.
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Post by jim on Jan 21, 2015 6:23:16 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing David.
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