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Show I Crippling emphysema studied by pulmonary research team emphysema progression went to Dr. Renzetti, who is regarded regard-ed as one of the foremost pulmonary pul-monary experts in the country. The fact that he is at Utah makes jiis talent even more valuable because the intermoun-tain intermoun-tain region has the highest emphysema em-physema rate in the country. Dr. Renzetti said, "The emphysema em-physema victim's chief difficulty diffi-culty is exchanging carbon dioxide di-oxide in his lungs for oxygen from the air. At higher altitudes alti-tudes where oxygen levels are lower he could be expected to have problems and apparently apparent-ly does.' Dr. Renzetti's five-year grant of $500,000 has enabled him to establish one of the best equp-ped equp-ped emphysema research laboratories lab-oratories in the country. He has recruited 70 patients during dur-ing the past year and, if he can locate them, he would like to add 80 more who either have or are suspected of having emphysema. The participants are given determine any changes in the a free monthly examination It is estimated that at least 25,000 Americans will die from emphysema and related lung disorders this year and 17,000 new victims will be identified. Emphysema has risen from obscurity to become the second most common disabler in America it strikes men seven sev-en times more frequently than women. The crippling disease is characterized char-acterized by a destruction of lung tissue with a resultant loss of elasticity in the lung. That condition, including the obstruction of tiny pulmonary air tubes, makes it extremely difficult for the emphysema victim to exhale air. Dr. A. D. Renzetti, Jr., professor pro-fessor of medicine and chief of the Pulmonary Division at the University of Utah Medical Center, believes two maior factors fac-tors are involved in the unus ual increase of emphysema: "For one thing, a large number num-ber of American men began smoking during World War II when cigarettes were distributed, distribu-ted, free to servicemen," he said "and it takes 25 to 30 years for the long-term effects of smoking to become apparent. Secondly, we have far more sophisticated diagnostic and treatment equipment today than was available even ten years ago." When social security payments pay-ments to emphysema-disabled workers and dependents soared to $75 million a year in the mid-sixties, the Public Health Service appropriated several million dollars to support emphysema em-physema research. The first grant ever made for development of a long-range long-range program to document |
