It’s not always easy to get a diagnosis of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, a rare condition that sometimes leads to serious lung and liver damage. In fact, most people who have this disorder are never diagnosed at all, experts say.
Also called alpha-1, this genetic condition means you don’t have enough of the alpha-1 antitrypsin protein in your bloodstream. When it affects your lungs, it can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Normally, AAT protects your lungs from being damaged while your immune system fights infection and inflammation. But without enough AAT, substances released during the immune process may harm your…
