Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is recognized as a significant genetic disorder affecting tens of thousands of individuals in the United States, though epidemiological studies indicate it remains heavily underdiagnosed due to symptoms frequently mimicking common conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Medical genetics estimates suggest that roughly one in every fifteen hundred to three thousand individuals of European descent carries the severe homozygous PiZZ genetic mutation, translating to a substantial affected population across the country. Specialized health organizations and advocacy groups continuously work to improve genetic screening rates to identify undiagnosed patients early before irreversible lung or liver damage occurs.