However, over the past few decades, life expectancy for people with this condition has improved dramatically. Thanks to advances in treatment and care, people with CF can now expect to live much longer. Several factors — including sex, lifestyle choices, any infections, and the type of CF gene mutation that a person has — can influence life expectancy.
Some research has reported that people with CF find information on life expectancy to be useful. It may especially help with formulating a healthcare plan and dealing emotionally with the condition. In this article, we look at average life expectancies for people with CF based on their age and other factors.
The median predicted survival age is an internationally accepted way to estimate life expectancy. Unlike a mean average, the median uses the midpoint in a set of numbers. It more accurately reflects the age that a person with CF can expect to reach. Based on the statistics , the median predicted survival ages are:. The data also indicate that half of all babies born with CF in will live to be 46 or older. It is important to note that small changes in the CF population can have significant effects on the calculations.
The current figures for life expectancy at birth are estimates that can change from one year to the next. Also, these predictions do not take into account the potential for improvements in care and treatment that may occur as people age. It is also important to note that these figures are just averages. Some people will live longer. In fact, some people with CF are living into their 70s. These statistics reflect current life expectancy rates in developed countries, such as the U. However, Cystic Fibrosis Worldwide suggest that in developing countries, such as El Salvador and India, life expectancy for people with CF is under 15 years of age.
How an individual views their quality of life depends on a number of factors, including their age and general health status. Many people with CF develop health complications as they age. Some of these can contribute to reduced quality of life and early death. Despite the possibility of these complications, some research suggests that the perception of quality of life improves as people with CF get older. The study relied on self-reported data from more than adults with CF.
This differs from person to person, however. For example, people with better lung function consistently rate their quality of life as being higher, compared with the ratings of people with poorer lung function.
In the later stages of CF, complications often cause serious problems for people. This means that among those born with CF in the U. A study looked at patient registry statistics in the U. In , the registry found that:.
Thanks to advances in DNA testing , doctors are identifying more and more people with CF for the first time well into their 50s, 60s, and 70s. While doctors once thought that these outliers had a less severe form of cystic fibrosis, now some doctors believe these patients have delayed CF. One study found that people diagnosed past age 40 had equally severe lung disease as those diagnosed in childhood.
While doctors know more than ever about CF, they still cannot reliably predict which patients will become long-term survivors based on their DNA results. Research seems to indicate that body weight , insurance coverage , ability to buy CFTR modulators , the latest group of CF drugs that improve the function of the CFTR protein, may have an impact on long-term survivorship.
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In addition to medications that provide symptomatic relief to patients and help clear infections, therapies that address the underlying causes of CF are available. CFTR modulators are one example. The CFTR protein channels the movements of salts in and out of cells. This helps in the controlled movement of water in tissues and organs, which is necessary to maintain the normal viscosity of the mucus lining the organs. In CF, defects in the CFTR protein hinder this normal flow of salt and water, leading to the formation and accumulation of thick, sticky mucus.
CFTR modulators help correct such defects. Correctors help the CFTR protein assume the correct shape to function as it should. Potentiators such as Kalydeco ivacaftor improve the salt and water flow through the membranes.
Amplifiers help by increasing the concentration of CFTR protein on cell membranes.
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