European Respiratory Society statement : Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary disease in α1-antitrypsin deficiency
α1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is the most common hereditary disorder in adults. It is associated with an increased risk of developing pulmonary emphysema and liver disease. The pulmonary emphysema in AATD is strongly linked to smoking, but even a proportion of never-smokers develop progressive lung disease. A large proportion of individuals affected remain undiagnosed and therefore without acce