Scientists Seek Genetic Clues to Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis

We have all heard people downplay the danger of smoking by describing the friend or relative who has smoked three packs a day for 25 years and is still healthy as an ox. It's true that some smokers are lucky enough to escape serious lung disease. But it is also true that approximately one quarter of all smokers eventually develop emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis, collectively known as chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center are trying to learn what separates the smokers who stay healthy from the ones who develop COPD. They believe that the answers lie in the smokers' genes.