Understanding Cystic Fibrosis: Impact, Support, and How You Can Help

A brief overview of cystic fibrosis, how it can impact people who have it, and how you can help.

3 min read

In this article

What is CF?

Cystic fibrosis is a rare, progressive, genetic disease. It affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs.
CF often causes a buildup of thick, sticky mucus. This makes it difficult to breathe, and often leads to chronic lung infections. It can also make it difficult to digest food and maintain a healthy weight.
Managing CF can look different for each individual.
- Some people need to clear their airways every morning using special vests that shake and loosen mucus.
- Some take dozens of medications ranging from enzymes to help aid digestion to antibiotics to address lung infections.
- Many take CFTR modulators, a transformative daily medication that can override the dysfunctional protein that causes CF. However, these are not a cure and not everyone with CF can benefit from them (depending on their specific mutation of the CF gene).

CF can impact people of all races, ethnicities, and identities.
There are close to 40,000 people in the U.S. living with CF.
When it was first discovered in the late 1930s, it was considered a pediatric disease. Because of the progressive damage it causes to the lungs and organs, most people with CF did not reach adulthood.
Today, advancements in care and treatment have allowed people with CF to live longer, with nearly 60% of the CF population in 2022 being adults.
Personal stories from members of the CF community can be found on our community blog.

Our mission is to find a cure for every individual with cystic fibrosis, and make sure they have the opportunity to live long, healthy lives.
We fund research and drug development, advance high-quality, specialized care, and partner with and advocate for the CF community.
We are working with researchers and biotech companies around the world to invest in genetic therapies. These may be our best path forward to a cure, because they could benefit everyone with CF no matter what specific genetic mutation they have.

There has never been a more exciting time to be involved with the Foundation. Here are a few easy ways you can connect:

Share this article

Join our email list for occasional updates on research, support, and ways you can stay involved.

Sign me up!