IPF is a relentlessly progressive disease

Of idiopathic interstitial lung diseases, IPF has the worst prognosis 4

  • IPF is marked by progressive and irreversible respiratory decline 5
  • While IPF is progressive, there is no way to predict how quickly a patient will progress 5,6
  • Patients hospitalized as a result of a chronic condition often do not return to prehospitalization levels of functionality, with many experiencing continued functional decline 7,8*

*The ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and management of IPF defines IPF as a chronic, progressive lung disease.
ATS=American Thoracic Society; ERS=European Respiratory Society; JRS=Japanese Respiratory Society; ALAT=Latin American Thoracic Association.

Progression is unpredictable and can occur at any point 5,6,9

The unpredictable progression of IPF can include slow, rapid, and mixed* decline at any point, from the subclinical period (onset of disease), to the prediagnosis period (onset of symptoms), to the postdiagnosis period

Adapted from Ley et al (2011).
†Mixed decline refers to periods of relative stability with periods of acute worsening and rapid decline.

The unpredictability of disease progression is a critical concern because once lost, lung function cannot be restored 5,6

Perception of stability may be misleading in IPF

Symptoms alone are not an accurate way to measure disease stability 4,6    

  • Lung damage is present before patients experience progression of their symptoms 4,6
  • Underlying disease progression may continue despite the stable appearance of symptoms 6
  • As fibrosis spreads, lung function becomes more compromised 6,9
  • Patients with IPF are commonly hospitalized, with the majority of hospitalizations being respiratory-related 10

Regularly monitoring the clinical course of IPF in patients is necessary even when symptoms appear stable 8,11

Comorbidities are commonly associated with IPF

Prevalence of select comorbidities in a general IPF patient population 12‡

Adapted from Collard et al (2012).
‡Listed comorbidities may vary in prevalence.
§Excluding myocardial infarction.

Comorbidities are common in patients with IPF and may be an important consideration when developing a treatment plan 13

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE: DIAGNOSIS    

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ESBRIET CLINICAL EFFICACY    

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