Fat-free mass index (FFMI), a measure similar to body mass index (BMI) but that also takes into account the amount of muscle mass in the body is a significant predictor of survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients.
Muscle Mass May Be Key to Preserving Lung Function in IPF
This film from Focus Patient describes the rare chronic lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) for patients who have been recently diagnosed. Dr. Toby Maher talks about how doctors discuss idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with their newly diagnosed patients. The educational film goes into detail about how the lungs work…
Exercise is crucial for people with pulmonary fibrosis to help slow down the decline of lung function and to maintain overall health, but over the holidays it can be difficult to find the time. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of tips to help you find time to…
Wide access to potential molecular drug targets to treat pulmonary fibrosis is now possible, as researchers have mapped the complete set of genes active in individual lung cells from patients with idiopathic lung fibrosis and from healthy people. The analysis, called single-cell RNA sequencing, also made it possible to single out several…
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease caused by scarring of the lung tissue. It’s classed as an interstitial lung disease and is very rare. While there is no definitive cause for IPF, there are many reasons why a person may be more likely to develop the…
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung condition which has a devastating effect on the lives of patients and their loved ones. In this film from the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation shared in 2014, we hear from the some of the people who have been directly affected by…
Last week I shared how important it is to make friends with your emotions, especially as a pulmonary fibrosis patient. I’ve been wading through a boatload of very difficult emotions since being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis two and a half…
Jordan Howard, the lead rusher for the Chicago Bears, is now auctioning his game-day Dec. 4 cleats in the NFL’s inaugural My Cause, My Cleats campaign to support the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) and the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community. The auction is open until Dec. 18, and the public can bid on…
Esbriet (pirfenidone) is an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic drug which has been found to be effective in slowing down the rate of fibrosis in the lung tissue of patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF). But which PF patients would benefit most from the drug? Esbriet may prevent acute flares in…
Although previously limited to the pulmonary system, new research suggests that acute exacerbations in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) also involve multiple organ systems. Moreover, two genes, scavenger receptor A (SRA) and TNF-α, are thought to play a role in mediating this systemic tissue damage. Acute exacerbations is the all-encompassing term…
