( A study by Temple University researcher...)African Americans Have Increased Risk Of Emphysema,Health

A study by Temple University researchers has found that African Americans are more likely to develop emphysema even though they smoke less cigarettes than Caucasians. The study is published in the journal Chest//.

The study, which confirms findings from a smaller preliminary study published last year, also offers evidence of biological differences in the distribution of emphysema and the severity of lung destruction between African Americans and Caucasians, leading researchers to conclude that the mechanism underlying the disease might also vary between the races.

"Not everyone who smokes gets emphysema or the same type of emphysema," says Wissam Chatila, MD, lead author and associate professor of medicine at Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital. "Our study supports previous findings that there might be something different between African Americans and Caucasians who are susceptible to the bad effects of smoking. The next question -- why is this so?"

While researchers begin to tackle this puzzle, Chatila notes that the current study contains important implications for primary care doctors of African American patients. By identifying the disease early and avoiding misdiagnosis, patients can receive better treatments and achieve improved outcomes. Along with an understanding of how severe emphysema develops, the work may also aid in shaping antismoking policies and smoking cessation programs that specifically target African Americans.

"If African American patients are smoking and suffering some degree of breathing disturbances, the study shows that we need to pay better attention, even if they seem too young to have emphysema," said Chatila, who is also a pulmonary specialist at the Temple Lung Center.

Confirmation of earlier findings on racial biological differences was important because of understandable skepticism about such distinctions.

"People question whether racial differences in di
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