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European Cystic Fibrosis Society
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Living longer with Cystic Fibrosis
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The demographics of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) have changed considerably over the last few
decades with median survival of around 40 years of age in most developed countries. It is
no longer a disease exclusively of childhood as the number of adults living with CF outnum-
bers children in many regions. While this should be celebrated it is also important to recog-
nise that with this improvement in survival comes a new set of challenges for patients and
their caregivers. That is why, after the first book published in 2012 on “Healthcare Issues
and Challenges in Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis”, ECFS decided to publish a book dealing
with adult issues “Living Longer with Cystic Fibrosis”.
Our ambition was to cover a wide range of healthcare issues relevant to adults and an
ageing adult population, in order to provide all members of the CF team with a resource to
consult when considering some of the difficult issues that occur when people with CF grow
older. We also wanted to provide some insight into the emerging issues so that healthcare
services can keep pace and provide effective services in the future.
We thank all the authors from many different countries who worked together to achieve
a comprehensive review of the main issues in adults, and who shared their experiences.
We also thank the adult patients who have contributed to this book by providing invaluable
insight into what it is like to live with CF as an adult.
Dominique Hubert and Nicholas Simmonds