Understanding Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
IPF: What is it?
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible disease characterized by progressive loss of the ability of the lungs to effectively transport oxygen to the bloodstream due to scarring.1 The cause is unknown.1 With the advent of FDA-approved medicines and ongoing research there is new hope for people with IPF. There is no way to predict how long someone with IPF or other interstitial lung diseases (ILD) will live, but your doctor can give you more detailed information about your prognosis.1 Check out this infographic and test your knowledge about IPF.
The most common symptoms of IPF are:
Shortness of breath1
Persistent dry, hacking cough1
Doctor can hear Velcro-like crackle in the lungs2
in the United States have IPF 3
IPF typically occurs in people
> 50Years Old4
It tends to affect
More Menthan women4
Test your knowledge on what you just learned in the quiz below:
1. One of the most common symptoms of IPF is1:
2. Approximately how many people in the U.S. are living with IPF?3
3. True or False? IPF typically affects people over 50 years old.4
IPF: Misdiagnosis is Common
IPF and other ILDs can share symptoms with other forms of respiratory and cardiovascular illness and can be misdiagnosed.5 Check out this infographic and take a short quiz about IPF and how commonly it is misdiagnosed.
of people with ILD, including IPF, reported at least one misdiagnosis,6
38%reported two or more misdiagnoses6
72% of people with IPF or other ILDs reported that they initially attributed some or all of their respiratory symptoms to advancing age6
A person may see multiple doctors and specialists before receiving a correct diagnosis of IPF6
IPF is difficult to diagnose because:
Lung fibrosis can't always be seen on a regular chest X-ray7
Many other lung and heart diseases cause similar symptoms8,9
People with IPF often have other co-morbidities, including those that may affect their breathing8
Test your knowledge on what you just learned in the quiz below:
1. True or false? Lung fibrosis can usually be seen on a regular chest X-ray.7
2. How many people with IPF or other ILDS were initially misdiagnosed?6
3. True or false? Most people are correctly diagnosed with IPF at initial doctor’s visit.6
IPF: Diagnosis and Disease Management
There is no cure for IPF, but a timely diagnosis is a critical factor for disease management since FDA-approved medicines have been shown to slow disease progression.10 Check out this infographic and test your knowledge about why diagnosis is so important.
of people with ILD said consulting a respiratory specialist was the most important contributing factor in obtaining a clear diagnosis6
There is no cure for IPF, but a timely diagnosis is important for disease management; a longer delay in access to respiratory specialist care is associated with an increased risk of death10
Besides a lung transplant, there is unfortunately no cure for IPF at this time. However, there are disease management options for people with IPF, including:
FDA-approved Medications1
Pulmonary rehabilitation1
Lifestyle modifications (e.g., quit smoking)1
