Epidemiology, survival, incidence and prevalence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the USA and Canada

[摘要] ExtractIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a very complex disease and despite the diagnostic criteria published in evidence-based guidelines in 2011; there are significant pitfalls in making an accurate diagnosis of IPF [1]. This has surfaced as a reason for the high rate of screen failures in recent prospective clinical trials for IPF [2xe2x80x935]. Since epidemiological studies are simply based on data entered in medical records and health claim databases; and are not subject to validation by review of actual raw data by experienced experts and multidisciplinary discussions among experts in the field of interstitial lung disease; the reports of the incidence and prevalence of IPF can only be estimates of diagnosis made on assumptions and; thus; must be interpreted with caution. Indeed; tracking the true occurrence of IPF is challenging [6].

[学科分类] 呼吸医学