I recently completed 18 sessions of pulmonary rehabilitation as part of my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) journey. While I expected it to be yet another attempt to give my lungs some much-needed attention, I didn’t anticipate meeting someone whose compassion and understanding would become such an important part of my…
Thanking the respiratory therapists who work quietly behind the scenes
Computer-based analyses of CT scans can help to predict future disease progression and track response to treatment among people with progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), according to a new analysis of clinical trial data. These findings “suggest that quantitative CT methods can facilitate the prediction of clinically relevant outcomes and…
I am two days into another trip around the sun. Can you believe it? I didn’t. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. On Sunday, Oct. 4, I turned 69. I was 59 when I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017. I…
Lower activity of a gene called ZNF331 may help identify obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), marked by repeated stops and starts in breathing during sleep, in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a new study by researchers in China. The team found that ZNF331 activity was lowest among people…
The past year has been particularly challenging for my husband, Donnie, as he navigates persistent muscle soreness and fatigue, along with his regular pulmonary fibrosis symptoms. Because autoimmune disorders ultimately caused Donnie’s pulmonary fibrosis (doctors suspect polymyositis, Sjögren’s disease, and scleroderma), it’s been difficult for him to discern if…
AP02, an inhaled form of nintedanib being developed by Avalyn Pharma for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), was generally well tolerated and resulted in higher lung levels of the drug than oral nintedanib, according to findings from two Phase 1 trials. An oral formulation of nintedanib, sold as Ofev,…
As my regular readers may remember, I am prescribed supplemental oxygen therapy. Pulmonary fibrosis makes it difficult to catch my breath during exertion. Long-distance walking has become difficult, going to the gym can be a challenge, and there are even days when it is simply hard to breathe. When…
Raising awareness can take many forms, including education. September’s Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month (PFAM) is an opportunity to educate not only the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) communities, but also the general public about the condition. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…
An experimental oral treatment called taladegib helped expand lung volume and reduce scarring in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to a new imaging analysis from a clinical trial. Data from the Phase 2a trial (NCT04968574), generated using artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate high-resolution chest scans, were…
Note: This column was updated Sept. 18, 2026, to correct that ILDs are restrictive diseases, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma are obstructive diseases. Because idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a diagnosis of exclusion, it’s easy to forget about all of the other related diseases that make up…
