Emphysema Causes. Cigarette smoking is by far the most dangerous behavior that causes people to develop emphysema, and it is also the most preventable cause. Other risk factors include a deficiency of an enzyme called alpha-1-antitrypsin, air pollution, airway reactivity, heredity, male sex, and age. The importance of cigarette smoking as a risk factor for developing emphysema cannot be overemphasized. Cigarette smoke contributes to this disease process in two ways.
Northern Virginia map - Virginia county, city, map with roads. Arlington County, Alexandria City. Arlington and the city of Alexandria Virginia are close to Washington DC, inside the beltway.
This article is about the unincorporated community of Langley in McLean, Virginia. For the military installation in Hampton, Virginia, see Joint Base LangleyâEustis. Langley High School, pictured here in June 2008, serves much of northeastern Fairfax County, Virginia. Visible on the left is the five stone memorial to the families affected by the September 11 attack on the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.