U.S. pulmonary fibrosis increasing

SEATTLE, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Prevalence of pulmonary fibrosis in the United States has increased 156 percent in the last six years, according to a study.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, says pulmonary fibrosis now affects 128,000 people and more than 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. In 2000 the Consensus Statement of the American Thoracic Society estimated prevalence at approximately 50,000.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, is the deadliest form of pulmonary fibrosis and is a progressive and ultimately fatal lung disease. It is characterized by progressive scarring in the lungs that robs patients of their ability to breathe.

"While this study, like all epidemiological studies, has some limitations, it reinforces a prevailing opinion in the pulmonary community that IPF prevalence and incidence is, in fact, higher than people and the medical community realize," says lead author Dr. Ganesh Raghu of the University of Washington.