There are about 100,000 Alphas in America. Only about 7,000 have been diagnosed.
To find the rest, we've got to get people's attention. So how're we doing?
Actually, we're doing well. For Alpha-1 awareness, 2007 was our best year ever. Some of the great stuff that happened this year:
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded $37 million for what is called the "COPD gene study," which will test 11,500 people for genetic factors in COPD -- including Alpha-1 testing for every one.
The Alpha-1 Foundation, in conjunction with the American Association for Respiratory Care, began a study of 5,000 COPD patients, to test them all for Alpha-1.
When these studies are done, we'll know how many Alphas there are -- far more accurately than today's estimates.
The NHLBI launched the Learn More Breathe Better campaign. It's intended to get better diagnosis and treatment for the millions of people with the lung diseases called COPD. The website and literature specifically mention Alpha-1 as the genetic cause of COPD.
The New York Times carried a major front-page story on COPD. Two full pages ran inside the paper, mentioning Alpha1-1 as "the genetic disorder known to cause emphsema."
In the last four months of the year, a man named Len Geiger became America's most famous Alpha, beginning with a September column by enormously popular Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly.
This was followed by a 15-minute segment just before Thanksgiving on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
Then just last Saturday, a feature on ABC World News. (To see a video of the broadcast segment, click on the photo of the two young girls at right.)
Those are the highlights. Want more? Well, I have a feeling there'll be plenty in 2008