Blood tests could forewarn of emphysema
Certain microparticles or proteins may be sign of disease
By Nathan Seppa
Screening for specific blood-borne particles or proteins might reveal whether a smoker is developing emphysema, two new studies propose, raising the possibility that a test could catch some of the millions of undiagnosed people with the condition. Both studies appear in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD is the third most common cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined last year. Most COPD patients are current or former smokers, and while the condition can be treated, there is no cure. It affects 24 million people in the United States, roughly half of whom are yet to be diagnosed, the National Institutes of Health estimates.