Cystic Fibrosis Life Expectancy

Cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening genetic disorder, which is very common among people in the Western world. According to some studies, one in twenty two people of Mediterranean descent is a carrier of one gene of this dreaded genetic disorder. In the U.S. only, one in every 4,000 children are born with cystic fibrosis, whereas this ratio in Asian American children is lower at 1 in 32,000 and in African-American kids, it is 1 in 15,000. Cystic fibrosis is said to be one of the most widespread and life-threatening genetic disease.

Cystic Fibrosis Facts

Otherwise known as CF, mucovoidosis, or mucoviscidosis, cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, which affects the secretory glands of the body, including the glands that produce mucus and sweat. Cystic fibrosis symptoms include salty tasting skin, poor growth, excess mucus production, frequent chest infections, incessant cough, breathing trouble and poor digestion. Males affected with this condition may be affected by impotence too. Unlike normal people, the mucus produced in the bodies of those affected with cystic fibrosis will be very sticky, causing blockage of the ducts and passages of the lungs and other organs, like pancreas, leading to infections and organ failure. In most cases, the symptoms develop in the childhood itself, but in some of the affected people, this happens at a later stage, i.e., around 18 years of age. Studies show that almost 80% of the affected people are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, within the age of three, whereas 10% of these patients are diagnosed after the age of 18 and the remaining 3% after the age of twenty.

History of Cystic Fibrosis

Identified and recognized as a special medical condition in the 1930s, cystic fibrosis life expectancy in babies was up to one year at that time. The situation improved during the 1950s, as cystic fibrosis patients lived a little bit longer, and the average cystic fibrosis life expectancy became five years. The sweat test in cystic fibrosis was developed in the 1960s and this method proved to be very much helpful in diagnosing this disease. With such advances in the methods of diagnosis and treatment, the survival rates of cystic fibrosis patients improved and their lifespan increased to a range of 14 to 20 years in the 1980s.

In 1989, the gene, which is responsible for causing cystic fibrosis was discovered and this discovery became a milestone, based on which, further advancements in treatment was made. Now, the average cystic fibrosis life expectancy is around 35 to 40 years, with many patients living much longer than expected. It has been observed that cystic fibrosis patients with adequate pancreatic function live more than 50 years of age. It is also said that the males among the cystic fibrosis patients survive longer than the females. According to some health experts, patients, who have undergone lung transplants may live longer than their counterparts.

Nowadays, newborn screening programs in many countries include tests for cystic fibrosis, so that treatment can be started at the earliest. Even prenatal tests can be conducted to rule out the possibility of this disease. Genetic tests can be conducted on the family members of a person, who has been detected with cystic fibrosis. This is done to find out, whether he/she carries the gene responsible for this disease. All these diagnostic methods help in the early detection of cystic fibrosis, which enables early treatment and a higher rate of cystic fibrosis life expectancy. At present, there is no cure for this disease, but you can get good treatment, which in turn reduce the symptoms and enhances cystic fibrosis life expectancy.