children s health issues
Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
Prognosis for Cystic Fibrosis
The severity of cystic fibrosis varies greatly from person to person regardless of age. The severity is determined largely by how much the lungs are affected. In the United States, people with cystic fibrosis who were born in the year 2021 are predicted to live to about 65 years of age. The outlook for longer survival has improved steadily as people are diagnosed earlier and treatments can now postpone some of the changes that occur in the lungs. Long-term survival is significantly better in people who do not develop pancreatic problems. However, deterioration is inevitable, leading to loss of lung function and eventually death. People with cystic fibrosis usually die of Respiratory Failure after many years of deteriorating lung function. A small number, however, die of heart failure, liver disease, bleeding into the airways, or complications of surgery including lung and/or liver transplantation. Despite their many problems, people with cystic fibrosis may lead productive lives and often attend school or work until shortly before death. 