Patient discussions
Patients with a phenotype associated with liver disease (e.g., PI*ZZ, PI*Mmalton, PI*Siiyama) are urged to undergo hepatitis vaccination.
Lifestyle counselling is recommended.[1] All patients who smoke should be urged to stop as soon as possible, using pharmacological assistance if necessary. There are limited data on smoking of non-tobacco products and 'vaping' on lung function in people with AAT deficiency, but given the mechanism of inflammation imbalance caused by smoking, it is presumed to carry the same risk for PI*MZ and PI*ZZ individuals.
Patients with liver disease should be advised to avoid alcohol or at least limit their alcohol intake to <60 g/day (although there is no evidence that ethanol consumption affects progression of disease).[6][9]
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