What are the symptoms of Alpha-1?

The clinical symptoms of Alpha-1 may look similar to the clinical symptoms of other serious lung disorders

People with Alpha-1 may have clinical symptoms like wheezing, a cough that won’t go away, or trouble breathing. People with other lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), emphysema, and asthma often have these same clinical symptoms.

Is it COPD, or could you also have Alpha-1?

It is important to understand that the clinical symptoms of Alpha-1 may look like the clinical symptoms of other serious lung conditions, but the cause of the disease in Alpha-1 patients is different from other diseases such as COPD or asthma.

Alpha-1 is the most common genetic risk factor for COPD and predisposes patients to a higher risk of developing COPD and asthma.

Alpha-1 can cause COPD, even in people who have never smoked.⁶

Symptoms and Characteristics of Alpha-1 vs COPD and Asthma^7,8
Diagnosis	Prevalence (US)	Age of Onset	Symptoms	Lung Function Test Findings	Recommended Testing
Asthma	~25 million	Variable	Episodic wheezing, cough, labored breathing	Predominantly reversible airflow obstruction	Allergy testing, peak-flow monitoring
COPD	~15 million	35-40 years old	Chronic productive cough, labored breathing, wheezing, weight loss	Predominantly fixed airflow obstruction	Alpha-1 genetic testing, chest CT scan
Alpha-1	~100,000	40-53 years old	Progressive labored breathing, cough, wheezing, phlegm production, fatigue	Pulmonary restriction, fixed airway obstruction	Alpha-1 genetic testing, Alpha-1 blood level testing
Diagnosis	Lung Function Test Findings	Recommended Testing
Asthma	Predominantly reversible airflow obstruction	Allergy testing, peak-flow monitoring
COPD	Predominantly fixed airflow obstruction	Alpha-1 genetic testing, chest CT scan
Alpha-1	Pulmonary restriction, fixed airway obstruction	Alpha-1 genetic testing, Alpha-1 blood level testing

Alpha-1 may be the root cause of other serious lung diseases

Because the physical symptoms of Alpha-1 may also look the same as the physical symptoms of other serious lung diseases, it may be hard for your doctor to diagnose Alpha-1.

When you talk with your doctor about Alpha-1, it is important to understand that:

A person with undiagnosed Alpha-1 may already be diagnosed with other serious lung diseases, such as COPD, emphysema, and asthma
Alpha-1 can worsen the symptoms of COPD, emphysema, and other serious lung conditions
Without testing, it may take a long time for you and your doctor to understand that worsening symptoms may be related to the underlying presence of Alpha-1
Testing and diagnosis for Alpha-1 is different than testing and diagnosis for COPD, emphysema, or asthma
Testing for Alpha-1 is quick, simple, and provides fast results
There is no reason to wait to be tested for Alpha-1. If you are at risk for Alpha-1, you should get tested as soon as possible

More than 90% of patients living with Alpha-1 have not been properly diagnosed.³

Alpha-1 can only be diagnosed by a blood test. Learn more.

Quick questions to ask yourself and your doctor about Alpha-1

Take the Alpha-1 risk quiz