Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition that causes lung scarring and stiffness. It develops when the alveoli, tiny air sacs that transfer oxygen to the blood, become damaged and inflamed. Body tries to heal the damage with scars, but these scars collapse the alveoli and make the lungs less elastic. Changes in the lungs can also increase the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery.

Analysis on Pulmonary fibrosis around Germany gave the result as seventy-eight IPF probands were enrolled of whom 28 (35.9%) had a positive family history. These 28 familial patients led to the recruitment of an additional 49 affected relatives (total of 77 FPF patients). By age 60 years, 42% of the familial cohort had been diagnosed with PF compared with only 16% of the sporadic patient collection (χ2 = 8.77, p = 0.003).