Differences in α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency Testing and Treatment Among US Adults

1

α1-Antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disorder associated with lung and liver disease and remains underdiagnosed, in part because testing is infrequent.
2

The study examined α1-antitrypsin deficiency testing among US veterans with COPD, asthma, asthma-COPD overlap, or spirometry-confirmed airflow obstruction.
3

The retrospective cohort used national Veterans Affairs electronic health records for patients with at least 2 COPD and/or asthma encounters from January 2000 through December 2024.
4

Testing was defined as at least 1 serum α1-antitrypsin measurement or genotype analysis during the study period.
5

The study also assessed augmentation therapy prescriptions among patients classified as having α1-antitrypsin deficiency and examined characteristics associated with testing and treatment.

1