Global perspective on pulmonary fibrosis: epidemiology, regional variations, gaps in care and future directions - PubMed

4 days ago

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) affects up to 0.1% of the global population.
Top causes of ILD-related PF: idiopathic PF, connective tissue disease-related ILD, sarcoidosis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Global annual incidence of ILD-related PF has more than doubled between 1990 and 2019, now estimated at 15-20 cases per 100,000 population.
Incidence, prevalence, and spectrum of ILD-related PF vary greatly across regions due to genetics, environment, industries, and diagnostic rigor.
Diagnosis of PF relies on chest imaging, lung histology, and expert evaluation, which are scarce in underserved regions.
30-60% of patients with ILD-related PF develop progressive disease over 1-2 years.
Annual PF care cost averages approximately US$30,000 in developed countries.
Key steps to enhance PF care: universal health coverage, improved access to imaging and expert teams, telehealth, drug development, and expanded availability of rehabilitation, palliative care, and lung transplantation.
Emerging techniques like gene silencing, alveolar organoids, stem cells, lung-on-a-chip, and nano-based drug delivery could transform future PF care.
PF is a significant global healthcare challenge due to clinical heterogeneity and geographic variation.

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