Rare Diseases Constitute a ‘Public Health Issue,’ NCATS Director Warns

With 250 rare diseases newly identified every year, scientists can barely keep up — even as the healthcare system fails millions of Americans whose rare diseases have already been diagnosed. That’s the warning from Christopher P. Austin, MD, director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Studies(NCATS) at the…

Loss of productivity in the workplace is common among patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD), and is associated with symptom severity and higher costs, according to data from a Canadian registry study. The study, “Costs of Workplace Productivity Loss in Patients with Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease,” was…

High levels of nitric oxide in the lungs of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are associated with faster disease progression and worse survival, researchers in Italy report. The findings were described in the study “Alveolar concentration of nitric oxide as a prognostic biomarker in idiopathic…

Lung injuries caused during the progression of pulmonary fibrosis can lead to an increase in two inflammatory proteins, IL-6 and IL-33, which can trigger muscle damage and weight loss, a mouse study says. The study, “Elevation of IL-6 and IL-33 Levels in Serum Associated with Lung…

It is hard to admit that my chronic lung disease is having more than a physical impact on me. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentless, cruel disease and sometimes it causes me to behave in ways that leave me feeling ashamed. This disease sets me apart from most of…

I named my column “Courage to Care” because I wanted to convey that it takes a lot of guts to be a caregiver. The moment I decided to take responsibility for protecting my mother, I became a courage-making machine. I have mustered courage all day, every day, to face…

Rosavin, an active compound found in the plant Rhodiola rosea, commonly known as golden root or Aaron’s rod, can prevent pulmonary fibrosis (PF) manifestations in mice, a study has found. This discovery, published in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmocotherapy, suggests that rosavin may be a promising candidate…

I vividly remember being told I had something called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). That day and conversation will be forever etched in my mind. I looked at the specialist revealing the news and said to him, “OK. What’s that?” Like most people, I’d never heard of this disease before…

Contrary to what has been suggested, antacid therapies may not change survival or disease progression rates among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), an Australian study found. The study, “Gastroesophageal reflux and antacid therapy in IPF: analysis from the Australia IPF Registry,” was published in the journal…

Another Mother’s Day is upon us. As each year comes round, it seems that I think about my mother more and more. My mom passed away on June 27, 2007. She suffered a fractured pelvis from which she didn’t fully recover. Afterward, she lived with ongoing pain and contracted frequent…