Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

Chemical signaling within the protective clusters formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa — a common infection-causing bacteria in cystic fibrosis (CF) — is dependent on factors such as surface type, the presence of antibiotics, and the bacterial strain, a study found. Such infections in CF are often resistant to standard…

Nearly 39,000 people were estimated to be living with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the U.S. in 2020, up from the roughly 34,000 estimate made in 2012, a study led by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation reported. A majority — about 77% — of these people also took part in…

A better growth trajectory over the first years of life was associated with more favorable lung function at age 6 for children with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the U.S., a study reported. Children who were consistently above the 50th percentile in size through age 5 — as recommended by…

A single round of airway clearance therapy (ACT) led to immediate improvements in some lung function tests for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, a study found. However, mucus that plugs up the airways wasn’t cleared by a single treatment. Overall findings from the study highlight “the potential remaining importance of…

Teenagers and young adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) appear less likely to smoke cigarettes — tobacco or electronic — and marijuana than their peers, according to a U.S. study. Still, e-cigarette and marijuana use is not uncommon in this patient group, with 18- to 21-year-olds being most at risk. As…

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with CF-related diabetes (CFRD) had a higher gastrointestinal (GI) symptom burden than patients who didn’t have it, a U.K. study found. CFRD patients had more symptoms related to appetite and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), more commonly known as acid reflux or heartburn, as well…

In-school use of airway clearance therapy (ACT) improved a number of health outcomes for children with cystic fibrosis (CF) who had poor adherence to ACT at home, according to a new study. In the year after starting ACT at school, the children experienced significant reductions in the number…

At least three months of using the triple combination therapy Trikafta (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) significantly increased glucose tolerance — reflecting better control of blood sugar levels — in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF), a small study found. Production of insulin, the hormone that helps clear glucose from the bloodstream, wasn’t…

Up to four years of treatment with Symdeko (tezacaftor/izacaftor) is safe and effective in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) with one or two copies of F508del, a common CF-causing mutation. That’s according to new long-term data from an open-label Phase 3 trial that tested the approved CF therapy…

Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) show significant differences from healthy children in the quality of their food choices and, subsequently, the microbes in their gut and respiratory tract, with evidence of greater intestinal inflammation in these young patients, a recent study in Australia found. Certain microbes in the gut associated…