At-home evaluation of lung function using a spirometry device is a “feasible and valid measure” for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who have preserved lung function, clinical trial data show. However, further study is needed to evaluate the utility of at-home evaluations, since correlations between changes seen at…
Caring for a loved one with a rare disease, especially during these uncertain times, demands significant time, attention, patience, and dedication. To help meet that need, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)’s Rare Caregiver Respite Program may be a helpful resource. The program seeks to give a…
Owlstone Medical has launched a new breath biomarker panel test — a “breathalyzer for disease” — to distinguish different chronic inflammatory lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The new panel test was designed to support research seeking ways to distinguish…
Immune cells called macrophages can stimulate nerve-associated lung scarring (fibrosis) in pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study reports. Its findings suggest that antagonists (or inhibitors) of alpha-1 adrenergic nerve receptors may be a potential avenue for PF treatment. The study, “Macrophage-derived netrin-1 drives adrenergic nerve–associated lung fibrosis,”…
Severely reduced lung function is not closely related to walking ability in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a new study indicates. The findings also point to a need to include patients with severely reduced lung function in IPF clinical trials, researchers said. The study, “Idiopathic…
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who have had a collapsed lung, a condition known as pneumothorax, are at risk of recurring collapses, and those needing tube drainage are more likely to have poorer outcomes, a study reported. The study, “Pneumothorax in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis:…
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announced that United Therapeutics will sponsor the PFF Registry. The Registry is a research resource that tracks clinical data, samples, and patient-reported outcomes from people living with pulmonary fibrosis in the U.S. According to the PFF, United Therapeutics’ sponsorship of the Registry…
Fatigue can be a significant burden for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and tends to worsen as the disease progresses or, at best, stay “relatively” stable, a study found. Increasing fatigue was particularly evident among younger patients who were least affected at the study’s start, and among those…
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is seeking individuals willing to share real-life experiences with rare diseases to speak at its upcoming virtual Living Rare, Living Stronger NORD Patient and Family Forum. The interactive, patient-focused forum will be held online June 26-27. The deadline to apply for…
The first patient has enrolled in a Phase 3 clinical trial testing whether N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, can be a targeted treatment for a subset of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients with a particular gene variant. The trial, called PRECISIONS (Prospective tReatment EffiCacy in IPF uSIng genOtype…
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