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Do you ever consider close clinical monitoring over antifibrotic therapy in patients ascribed an MDD diagnosis of IPF who have normal lung function and are asymptomatic?

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Pulmonology · University of Alabama Birmingham

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is by definition a progressive disease with high mortality, thus, clinical practice guidelines would recommend treatment at diagnosis. Based on US and UK epidemiologic studies, IPF has an average life expectancy of 3-4 years without antifibrotic treatment. Furthermore, ...

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Mednet Member
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Pulmonology · University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill

Yes, but not often. It always seems odd to me that patients and some providers want to wait until there's progression.

I had a mentor who told me there were three certainties in life: "Death, taxes, and IPF progresses." Clearly meant for comedic effect, but it's pretty true. If a patient doesn't prog...

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