MIAMI, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients and medical professionals are invited to a free Alpha-1 Education Day hosted by the Alpha-1 Foundation and Alpha-1 Association on Saturday, November 11 from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Double Tree Hotel Chicago-Oak Brook, located at 1909 Spring Road in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Conference participants will learn about new developments in the treatment of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1), the importance of early detection, and the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation. They will have the opportunity to participate in question-and-answer sessions led by respected experts, including Nancy Reau, M.D., of the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago and Mark Brantly, M.D., of the University of Florida School of Medicine.
Admission and all activities, including breakfast and lunch, are free. Medical professionals and patients are encouraged to attend. Respiratory therapists who complete the course will be eligible for five Continuing Respiratory Care Education credits approved by the American Association for Respiratory Care.
Alpha-1 is a hereditary condition that is passed on from parents to their children through genes. Frequently called "genetic emphysema", Alpha-1 can result in life-threatening lung disease in adults and liver disease in adults and children. There may be up to 100,000 people with the Alpha-1 (ZZ) gene in the United States, many of whom have not been diagnosed. Additionally it is estimated that 20 million people may be carriers, meaning they have one normal and one defective gene.
The Chicago Alpha-1 Education Day is made possible through unrestricted educational grants provided by AlphaNet, Boehringer Ingelheim & Pfizer, Centric Health Resources, Talecris Biotherapeutics and ZLB Behring. Series exhibitors include Accredo Therapeutics and Baxter Healthcare Corporation.
The lay public interested in attending should contact Nelly Martinez of the Alpha-1 Association, at 1 (800) 521-3025. Media interested in physician or patient interviews should contact Hilda S. Mitrani at 1 (888) 825-7421, ext. 203.
More Facts about Alpha-1 - The most common symptoms of Alpha-1 related to the lungs are shortness of breath, wheezing, chronic cough and sputum (phlegm) production, and recurring chest colds. - The most common symptoms of Alpha-1 related to the liver are eyes and skin turning yellow (jaundice), swelling of the abdomen (ascites), and vomiting blood or passing blood in the stool.
About the Alpha-1 Association The mission of the Alpha-1 Association is to identify those affected by Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) and to improve the quality of their lives through support, education, advocacy, and research. For more information, please visit: www.alpha1.org.
About the Alpha-1 Foundation The mission of the Alpha-1 Foundation is to provide the leadership and resources that will result in increased research, improved health, worldwide detection, and a cure for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. For more information, please visit: www.alphaone.org.
Alpha-1 FoundationCONTACT: Hilda S. Mitrani of the Alpha-1 Foundation, +1-888-825-7421, ext.203, or hsmitrani@alphaone.org
