Women with cystic fibrosis have higher rates of pulmonary exacerbations
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Women with cystic fibrosis have higher rates of pulmonary exacerbations compared with men, with differences appearing early in life, researchers reported at the virtual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference.
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing data from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry from 2006 to 2019. Among 40,782 individuals with cystic fibrosis, the mean age was 14.6 years and 48% were women. Researchers evaluated the association of sex with the number of annual pulmonary exacerbations requiring IV antibiotics, both overall and among subgroups defined by nonmodifiable characteristics.
Women with cystic fibrosis experienced 0.18 more pulmonary exacerbations per year compared with men, for a 29% higher relative rate of pulmonary exacerbations, Kristina Montemayor, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said during a virtual presentation of the results.
In addition, pulmonary exacerbation rates were higher within subgroups stratified by age, race, ethnicity, delF508 mutation and CFTR functional class.
The researchers reported no difference in rates of pulmonary exacerbations among children aged 0 to 5 years; however, the rate was 26% higher among those aged 6 to 11 years, 42% higher rate among those aged 12 to 17 years, 38% higher rate among those aged 18 to 34 years and 29% higher rate among those aged 35 to 51 years.
“In this population-based study, females had significantly higher rates of pulmonary exacerbations compared to males. These differences begin early in life, persisted through older ages and were consistently observed across all subgroups of individuals,” Montemayor said.
According to Montemayor, identifying subgroups at highest risk for pulmonary exacerbations is a high priority among the cystic fibrosis community.
“Future research is needed to develop targeted interventions to minimize these differences for people with cystic fibrosis,” Montemayor said. “While continued sex differences research is a priority for the cystic fibrosis community, we need to use what we can from this population to help address sex differences in those individuals with underlying chronic lung disease within pulmonary and critical care medicine.”