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A person’s sex appears to affect whether or not they are diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a study that tested respiratory physicians worldwide. Women are less likely to be given an IPF diagnosis, and men may be overdiagnosed, its results suggests. Investigators also noted that the influence of…

People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have shorter survival times after an acute exacerbation than do those with other interstitial lung diseases (ILD), often dying within a few months of such flares, a study from Finland reports. Pulmonary fibrosis, or lung scarring, was the most common underlying cause of death…

Across the world, a fair amount of variation exists in medical practices to diagnose and treat acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), reflecting a lack of evidence-based guidelines, a study based on surveys of pulmonologists reports. The study, “Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: international…

Abnormal buildup of iron in the lungs can cause lung fibrosis (scarring), and targeting this accumulation could be a therapeutic strategy for people with pulmonary fibrosis, a new study suggests. The study, “Critical role for iron accumulation in the pathogenesis of fibrotic lung disease,” was published in …

Nogra Pharma’s experimental therapy GED-0507 limited body weight loss and the extension of lung scarring (fibrosis) — to a similar or greater extent than two approved anti-fibrotic therapies used as comparators — in mice with induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study reported. These findings suggest that GED-0507 may be a therapeutic option for…

In very rare cases, a tuberculosis infection in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and lung cancer may help activate the immune system and induce a spontaneous cancer remission, a case report suggests. While the patient in the study achieved complete cancer regression after treatment with standard first-line…

COVID-19 has been reported to cause lung fibrosis in some people, but the type of fibrosis that develops is distinct from what generally occurs in those with interstitial lung disease (ILD), according to a press release issued by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF). COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has waived all requirements for in-person testing and signature at delivery for supplemental oxygen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is urging patients, healthcare providers, and oxygen suppliers to comply with the new CMS guidelines,…

People with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and other chronic lung disorders should strictly limit social contact during the global spread of the respiratory illness COVID-19, a pulmonary expert said. Rahat Hussain, MD, a pulmonologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center…

A class of molecules called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitors (TIMPs) show promise as biomarkers of the presence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a new study. MMPs and TIMPs are present at elevated levels in the bloodstream of IPF patients, and…