New Test May Reveal Early Signs of Emphysema Among Smokers

Earlier this week, WebMD.com posted an article describing a new test that may help identify smokers most at risk of developing emphysema. The test is a new type of "multidetector row CT" otherwise known as a MDCT. To read the article, click here. Though the new test does not appear to be commercially available at this point it is a potentially useful tool to help identify emphysema earlier in its development among smokers.

Genetic testing in general is a growing area of focus within pulmonary medicine (among other disciplines) as physicians seek to find ways to get in front of the curve of lung disease. There are at least two other genetic tests that are commercially available for those who are concerned about chronic shortness of breath. One we have written about a couple times before, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (otherwise known as AATD, see our article by clicking here), and one for cystic fibrosis (a test known as a sweat chloride test).

Surprisingly, even though interest in genetic testing is rising in the medical profession, not many doctors are familiar with the emerging test methods as pointed out in a Chest editorial published in March 2010 (Chest is the journal of record for the American College of Chest Physicians). In that editorial, the authors pointed to a recent study that found 72% of clinicians not trained in genetics rated their knowledge of genetics as fair to poor. (Liss D, et al. Diagnosis of Adult Hereditary Pulmonary Disease and the Role of Genetic Testing. Chest 2010; 137: 748-750)

So, don't assume your doctor knows what tests are available. If you have been diagnosed with emphysema and haven't been tested for AATD, ask your doctor to be tested. If he/she doesn't know about the AATD test, suggest they visit the site www.testtodaychangetomorrow.com for more information. If you are experiencing chronic shortness of breath but you have yet to be diagnosed with a lung disease, ask your doctor to order the AATD test and the cystic fibrosis test to either help confirm or rule out these potential genetic disorders.