Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) Case Studies and Expert Perspectives: Screening, Diagnosis, and Augmentation Therapy
Released On
November 21, 2024
Expires On
November 21, 2025
Media Type
Internet
Completion Time
60 minutes
Specialty
Allergy & Immunology, Clinical Pharmacists, Critical Care, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Pulmonology, and Respiratory Therapists
Topic(s)
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD)
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Jointly provided by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and CMEology.
Support Statement: This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. .
Credit Available
- Physicians — 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- Nurses — 1.0 Nursing Contact hour
- Pharmacists — 1.0 Contact hour
- Respiratory Therapists — 1.0 Contact hour
All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.
Target Audience
The intended audience for this activity is pulmonologists, allergists, hepatologists, gastroenterologists, respiratory therapists, and other health care providers who screen and manage patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD).
Program Overview
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is one of the most prevalent genetic diseases. It is an uncommonly diagnosed, potentially life-threatening genetic disorder that predisposes individuals to lung and/or liver disease. In this case-based activity, Dr. Charlie Strange, Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina and Dr. Virginia Clark, Clinical Professor of Medicine from the University of Florida discuss what every clinician needs to know about this often overlooked condition.
AATD is characterized by markedly decreased plasma levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), a circulating serine protease inhibitor produced primarily in the liver and secreted into circulation to protect tissues from proteolytic damage. AATD is a widely underdiagnosed condition, with many individuals experiencing delays of 5 to 8 years between first symptoms and AATD diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis of AATD is associated with worse clinical and functional status and negative psychosocial consequences. Testing is the only way to determine who has AATD. Initial testing of AAT levels can be accomplished with an inexpensive blood test, followed by genotype testing. All individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), early-onset pulmonary emphysema, or unexplained liver disease should be tested for AATD. Intravenous augmentation therapy, indicated in adults with clinically evident emphysema due to AATD, is effective at all levels of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) impairment and beneficial for early- and late-stage disease. Although augmentation therapy is not indicated for AATD liver disease, a number of promising new therapies are on the horizon.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
- Describe the impact of delayed diagnosis on patient quality of life and the disease course
- Recognize patients who should be screened for AATD and perform appropriate screening procedures
- Assess the value of augmentation therapy for managing AATD
Faculty
Charlie Strange, MD
Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Virginia Clark, MD, MS
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hapatology
Training Program Director, GI Fellowship
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Joint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and CMEology. PACE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Credit Designation
- PACE designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hour.
- PACE designates this continuing education activity for 1.0 contact hour(s) (0.1 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
- (Universal Activity Number - JA4008073-9999-24-225-H01-P)
- Type of Activity: Knowledge
- For Pharmacists: Upon successfully completing the posttest with a score of 75% or better and the activity evaluation form, transcript information will be sent to the NABP CPE Monitor Service within 4 weeks.
Continuing Respiratory Care Education
This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours Continuing Respiratory Care Education (CRCE) credit by the American Association for Respiratory Care, 9425, N. MacArthur Blvd, Suite 100, Irving TX 75063. Course # 190979000.
All other health care professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.
Disclosures of Conflicts of Interest
PACE requires every individual in a position to control educational content to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies that have occurred within the past 24 months. Ineligible companies are organizations whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
All relevant financial relationships for anyone with the ability to control the content of this educational activity are listed below and have been mitigated according to PACE policies. Others involved in the planning of this activity have no relevant financial relationships.
- Charlie Strange, MD
- Researcher: : Grifols, Krystal Biotech, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
- Consultant, Advisor, Speaker: Beam Therapeutics, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, GlaxoSmithKline
- Employee: AlphaNet
- Researcher: : Grifols, Krystal Biotech, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
- Virginia Clark, MD, MS
- Researcher: Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- Consultant, Advisor, Speaker: : BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Instructions for Participation and Credit
There are no fees for participating and receiving CME credit for this enduring activity. To receive CME credit participants must:
- Read the CME/CE information and faculty disclosures.
- Participate in the online activity.
- Submit the evaluation form.
Certificates will be emailed to the participant.
Course Viewing Requirements
Supported Browsers:
Internet Explorer 8.0+ for Windows 2003, Vista, XP, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and above
Google Chrome 28.0+ for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux
Mozilla Firefox 23.0+ for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux
Safari 6.0+ for Mac OSX 10.7 and above
Supported Phones & Tablets:
Android 4.0.3 and above
iPhone/iPad with iOS 6.1 or above
Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.
The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.
Contact Information
For CME questions please contact: [email protected] .