cystic fibrosis

noun

: a common, progressive hereditary disease of exocrine gland function that typically appears in infancy or early childhood and is marked by the accumulation of thick, sticky mucus in the ducts and passages of various organs and especially those of the lungs and pancreas resulting in shortness of breath, persistent cough, chronic respiratory infection, pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, faulty digestion, malnutrition, and poor growth

Note: The genetic mutation linked to cystic fibrosis causes disruption in the movement of chloride ions and water across cell membranes resulting in mucus that is thick and sticky instead of thin and slippery and in elevated concentrations of sodium and chloride in sweat and saliva. Cystic fibrosis occurs especially in people of northern European ancestry and is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait requiring that both parents pass on a copy of the defective gene on a chromosome other than a sex chromosome.

… children with cystic fibrosis are born with healthy lungs; only later do their lungs become plugged with mucus and incur infections.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

Cystic fibrosis is the most common lethal inherited disorder in the United States. Approximately 30,000 people in this country have inherited two defective copies of the CF gene and thus the disease; approximately 1 in 20 Americans has just one copy of the gene and is a carrier of the disease.

—Joe Palca

—abbreviation CF

Examples of cystic fibrosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, the cystic fibrosis treatment Trikafta (Vertex Pharmaceuticals) went up 5.9 percent to $26,546 for a 28-day supply. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 19 Jan. 2024

Some notable discoveries during this period include the identification of the gene responsible for sickle cell anemia and the gene linked to cystic fibrosis. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

If approved, the once-a-day treatment would extend the company’s dominance in the market for cystic fibrosis treatments and meaningfully reduce its royalty obligations. —Damian Garde, STAT, 6 Feb. 2024

Stephenson told local news outlet WRAL that her health journey began when she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 9-months-old. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024

Such windfall philanthropy is often the best way to do the expensive, often unprofitable work needed to transform early research into powerful treatments — just look at cystic fibrosis or spinal muscular atrophy. —Stat Staff, STAT, 29 Dec. 2023

There were some openly disabled artists on the scene, like Liz Young, who used a wheelchair, and Bob Flanagan, a performance artist who had cystic fibrosis. —Max Norman, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2024

These concerns extend to various medical conditions, including ALS, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and other rare diseases. —Jon Hu, STAT, 18 Dec. 2023

These tests, which can be conducted through blood, saliva, or tissue samples, offer hope in diagnosing conditions like Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and many others. —Rajeev Ronanki, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cystic fibrosis

noun

: an inherited disease marked by the buildup of thick sticky mucus chiefly in the lungs and pancreas leading to recurrent lung infections and digestive problems

Medical Definition

cystic fibrosis

noun

: a common, progressive, hereditary disease of exocrine gland function that typically appears in infancy or early childhood and is marked by the accumulation of thick, sticky mucus in the ducts and passages of various organs and especially those of the lungs and pancreas resulting in shortness of breath, persistent cough, chronic respiratory infection, pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, faulty digestion, malnutrition, and poor growth

Note: The genetic mutation linked to cystic fibrosis causes disruption in the movement of chloride ions and water across cell membranes resulting in mucus that is thick and sticky instead of thin and slippery and in elevated concentrations of sodium and chloride in sweat and saliva. Cystic fibrosis occurs especially in people of northern European ancestry and is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait requiring that both parents pass on a copy of the defective gene on a chromosome other than a sex chromosome.

called also fibrocystic disease of the pancreas, mucoviscidosis

—abbreviation CF