A study identified how cystic fibrosis survival had improved much more south of the border
A new study has found that while both Canadian and American cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are experiencing improved health, patients in the US have shown faster overall improvement.
The study, titled Comparison of Nutrition and Lung Function Outcomes in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Living in Canada and the United States, analysed data from over 5,000 patients in the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Registry and more than 37,000 in the US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Registry. The researchers looked at information on lung function and BMI, which are known to influence survival among CF patients, from 1990 to 2013.
While the data showed improved lung function in both countries, American CF patients born after 1990 were found to be nutritionally healthier than Canadians. Certain age groups also registered quicker improvement in the US: American children age six to 18 years old posting better lung function than similarly aged Canadians in 2002, and US children between 19 and 40 did better than their Canadian counterparts in terms of lung function by 2006.
“The reasons for the observed improvements, and catch-up in the U.S., are likely multifactorial, and include the introduction of high-fat/high-calorie diets, introduction of newborn screening, and/or improved access to care for CF children in the US,” the researchers said.
However, Canadians over 40 were found to have better lung function than similarly aged US patients over the entire study period. A previous study conducted by different researchers had also found that Canadian CF patients live an average of ten years longer than their American counterparts.
“The findings from this study are encouraging in that they support positive trends in the health of people with CF in both Canada and the US,” Bruce Marshall, lead study investigator for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and senior vice president of clinical affairs at CFF, said in a statement. “As a community, we can all take pride in these improvements while continuing to learn as much as we can to slow down the progression of this disease and improve the quality of life for all those living with it.”
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The study, titled Comparison of Nutrition and Lung Function Outcomes in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Living in Canada and the United States, analysed data from over 5,000 patients in the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Registry and more than 37,000 in the US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Registry. The researchers looked at information on lung function and BMI, which are known to influence survival among CF patients, from 1990 to 2013.
While the data showed improved lung function in both countries, American CF patients born after 1990 were found to be nutritionally healthier than Canadians. Certain age groups also registered quicker improvement in the US: American children age six to 18 years old posting better lung function than similarly aged Canadians in 2002, and US children between 19 and 40 did better than their Canadian counterparts in terms of lung function by 2006.
“The reasons for the observed improvements, and catch-up in the U.S., are likely multifactorial, and include the introduction of high-fat/high-calorie diets, introduction of newborn screening, and/or improved access to care for CF children in the US,” the researchers said.
However, Canadians over 40 were found to have better lung function than similarly aged US patients over the entire study period. A previous study conducted by different researchers had also found that Canadian CF patients live an average of ten years longer than their American counterparts.
“The findings from this study are encouraging in that they support positive trends in the health of people with CF in both Canada and the US,” Bruce Marshall, lead study investigator for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and senior vice president of clinical affairs at CFF, said in a statement. “As a community, we can all take pride in these improvements while continuing to learn as much as we can to slow down the progression of this disease and improve the quality of life for all those living with it.”
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