Many of you, either through your experiences with us over the
past few years or with other friends or family affected by this
disease, are familiar with what cystic fibrosis is. For those
that aren't, here's a brief synopsis:
Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disorder that affects over
30,000 Americans. This disease is marked by chronic infections,
clogged airways, and digestive and reproductive problems.
In cystic fibrosis patients, problems occur because the mucus
in their lungs is very thick and sticky. Instead of serving as
a lubricant, it clogs the respiratory system and allows bacteria
to grow within it, impairing the body's natural defenses. The
thick mucus also obstructs the pancreas, preventing enzymes from
reaching the intestines to digest food.
Cystic fibrosis occurs in roughly one of every 3,500 live births.
More than
10 million Americans are unknowing, symptomless carriers of the disease. To contract it, a child must inherit a defective copy
of the CF gene from each parent.
Each time two carriers conceive, there is a 25 percent chance that their child will have CF; a 50 percent chance that the child will be a carrier of the CF gene; and a 25 percent chance that the child will be a non-carrier.
People with CF have a variety of symptoms including: very salty-tasting skin; persistent coughing, at times with phlegm; wheezing or shortness of breath; an excessive appetite but poor weight gain; and greasy, bulky stools. Symptoms vary from person to person due, in part, to the more than 1,000 mutations of the CF gene.
The sweat test is the standard diagnostic test for CF. A sweat test should be performed at a CF Foundation-accredited care center where strict guidelines are followed to ensure accurate results. This simple and painless procedure measures the amount of salt in the sweat. A high salt level indicates CF.
Although cystic fibrosis is not yet curable, the good news is
that the situation is not hopeless. Each day since the cystic
fibrosis gene was discovered in 1989, the pace of CF research
has greatly accelerated, and scientists continue to find ways
to help those who live with the disease. These treatments include
the use of tobramycin - a drug therapy for CF approved by the
Food and Drug Administration in 1997 - and experimental gene therapy
treatment.
-- Cystic Fibrosis Information from www.cff.org
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's mission since its inception in 1955 has been to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease. The CF Foundation remains one of the top voluntary health organizations in the country at efficiently using its funds raised to invest in medical and research programs. SmartMoney magazine has cited the CF Foundation as a charity that "won't waste your money." We encourage you to support
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through donations and participation
in CFF fundraising activities.
For more information about cystic fibrosis and the efforts to
find a cure, we recommend two web sites very highly:
