Pulmonary Fibrosis

SleeplessinSD · ‎11-01-2010

My 75 year old brother was recently diagnosed with this and told our family this past week. He had not been feeling well and had a persistent cough, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. He’s always been very active and still works part time. He plays sports and volunteers in his extra time with the city. He did smoke in his much younger years. I’ve done some research, as I’d never heard of this disease. Not much sounds good. While I realize everyone is different, I’d like to know what others may have experienced. TIA

~H~

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

@SleeplessinSD -

I've never heard of it either but read there is some promising new treatments-this from medicalnewstoday.com`

LYCAT protein may protect against or slow progress of pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease that causes the lungs to be covered in scar tissue. As the disease progresses, the shortness of breath that accompanies it gets worse.

They measured levels of LYCAT in the blood of IPF patients and found the highest levels were in patients with significantly better lung function and more likely to survive more than 3 years after diagnosis.

Dr. Huang says they wonder if LYCAT is either playing a protective role, or slowing progress of the disease, and perhaps "boosting LYCAT levels in patients with pulmonary fibrosis may be a viable new therapeutic approach to treating the disease."

The study also examined how LYCAT behaves in mice bred to develop lung tissue scarring. In mice without the gene, scar tissue developed more quickly compared to mice with the gene. And scar tissue developed even more slowly in mice engineered to have higher than normal levels of LYCAT.

The team now wants to look for molecules that spur production of LYCAT.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

SleeplessinSD · ‎11-01-2010

@on the bay , thank you. That does sound promising..

~H~

Ainhisg · ‎03-09-2010

My mom, who is still living at 90, had/has this. She never smoked, but her whole family smoked while she was growing up. My did smoked a pipe. as well. 15 years ago, she had a third of her right lung removed. She recovered and has done well. Never suffered any ill effects from having lost part of a lung and has felt perfectly normal.

SleeplessinSD · ‎11-01-2010

@Ainhisg wrote:
My mom, who is still living at 90, had/has this. She never smoked, but her whole family smoked while she was growing up. My did smoked a pipe. as well. 15 years ago, she had a third of her right lung removed. She recovered and has done well. Never suffered any ill effects from having lost part of a lung and has felt perfectly normal.

@Ainhisg , that’s great news about your mother. It sounds like she was diagnosed at about the same age as my brother? Hopefully, my DB will fare as well....thank you.

~H~