Preserving Lung Function in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common interstitial lung disease, with an estimated global yearly incidence of approximately 6 per 100,000 and a prevalence of approximately 18 per 100,000. 1,2 Patients with IPF have progressive dyspnea that is commonly accompanied by a disabling cough, impaired quality of life, and frequent exacerbations that lead to hospitalization. And the disease is deadly, with a median survival of less than 4 years. 1 Antifibrotic agents (e.g., nintedanib and pirfenidone) slow but do not halt an inexorable decline in lung function, but at the price of substantial — and, for many patients, unacceptable — side . . .