Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is caused by genetics and is the most common life-limiting genetic disorder in Caucasians, affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. Fortunately, CF is still quite rare. One in 2,500 adults has cystic fibrosis, while 1 in 25 are carriers for the gene.
In 1989, researchers discovered and cloned the gene for CF. As a result, a great deal more is known about the causes of the disease, and an explosion of new therapies has occurred. The median life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis has increased dramatically from 7 to 31 years old, while individuals with mild forms of CF live much longer.
This information has been approved by Jerry Nick, MD (March, 2006).
