In the U.S., there are approximately 2,500 new cases diagnosed each year. Currently, there is no cure for CF, but there are many promising new treatments in use and even more on the horizon.
Many people even live into their fifties and sixties.
The lung problem can lead to progressive blockage, infection, and lung damage, and even death if there is too much damage, while the pancreatic blockage causes poor digestion and poor absorption of food, leading to poor growth and undernutrition. The sweat glands are also affected, in that they make a much saltier sweat than normal. Genes are our genetic material and are responsible for the physical characteristics that each person has. These characteristics can be passed from parents to their children, from generation to generation. Each gene has a specific role in determining how a person s body is put together and how it functions.