Cystic Fibrosis - Questions & Answers What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease that causes the
glands that make mucous, saliva and sweat to not work properly.
The mucous is sticky instead of thin and slippery and chokes the
lungs and can block openings in other major organs, which makes
it difficult to break down and absorb food. CF can cause
permanent liver damage. How Common is Cystic Fibrosis? CF is one
of the most common inherited diseases of Caucasians (whites). CF
occurs in one of every 3,200 live Caucasian births. It occurs in
one in every 15,000 live African-American births. CF is uncommon
in Asians and most Native American tribes. It is being seen more
often in Hispanics. CF affects almost every race. About 1,000
new cases of CF are diagnosed each year. Can I "Catch" Cystic
Fibrosis? No. CF is a disease that a person is born with. It
comes from a defective gene from each parent. Genes are the main
unit of heredity. Not all people carry the defective gene that
causes CF, s