The key to an inherited deficiency that predisposes some people to emphysema and other lung conditions could lie in their Viking ancestry, according to a paper published in Nature: Scientific Reports.
Archaeological excavations of Viking latrine pits in Denmark have revealed that these populations suffered massive worm infestations. The way that their genes developed to protect their vital organs from disease caused by worms has become the inherited trait which can now lead to lung disease in smokers.
Deficiency of alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), which is a risk factor for developing COPD, is genetically determined and is due to deviants of A1AT that are surprisingly common, particularly in Scandinavia, where they evolved in Viking populations more than two thousand years ago.
What do Vikings and Worms have to do with COPD?
The last sentence in the second paragraph states that the inherited trait can lead to lung disease in smokers. I am an Alpha One patient and yes, it’s true that it can lead to lung disease in smokers. BUT… it’s also important to mention that many, many Alpha One patients who have never smoked a day in their lives have COPD/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (which is an umbrella term for Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, Refractory or Non-reversible asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis) due to decreased lung function caused by Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency. Again, it’s not just smokers!!!