Thursday, February 26, 2009

What is Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic diesease, that primaraly effects the lungs and digestive system. 1 in 25 caucasion people are non-symptomatic carriers, but when a person carries two copies of the bad gene, CF happens, sometimes without family history. Average life expectancy for a baby born today with CF is only 37 years old. More information about Cystic Fibrosis can be found at The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Web Site.

The following information is copied from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation:

What You Need to Know

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis

People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:

very salty-tasting skin;
persistent coughing, at times with phlegm;
frequent lung infections;
wheezing or shortness of breath;
poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and
frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.
Statistics

About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.
More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.
More than 40% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.
The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is more than 37 years.

1 comment:

  1. Ive heard that it is a common hereditary disease which affects the entire body, causing progressive disability and often early death ,I really hope i never have a poor child with this.

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