EMPHYSEMA IS LESS SEVERE IN BLACK SMOKERS THAN IN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS, RESEARCHERS REPORTED ON MONDAY. THIS SUGGESTS THAT BLACKS RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO CIGARETTE SMOKE OR THAT GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS MAY SLIGHTLY ALTER THEIR LUNG STRUCTURE, THE RESEARCHERS SAID. "THIS DATA MAY GIVE US SOME CLUES TO HONE IN ON HOW EMPHYSEMA DEVELOPS," SAID DR. WISSAM CHATILA, LEAD AUTHOR ON THE STUDY TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL CHEST. RESEARCHERS HAVE LONG KNOWN THAT EMPHYSEMA IS THE ONLY SMOKING-RELATED DISEASE LESS COMMON AMONG BLACKS THAN WHITES. THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT WHEN BLACKS DEVELOP THE DISEASE, IT IS ALSO DISTRIBUTED DIFFERENTLY IN THEIR LUNGS, THE RESEARCHERS FROM THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SAID. EMPHYSEMA IS A CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE CHARACTERIZED BY THE DESTRUCTION OF LUNG TISSUE OR THE LOSS OF ITS ELASTICITY. --MORE 10/07/2006 23:34 ت م
