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Cystic Fibrosis Trust partners with The British Society for Research on Ageing
UK CF Registry data shows that nearly two thirds of the UK CF population are now over 16 years old, and one in six people with CF in the UK are over 40 years old, as advances in treatment increase life expectancy. However, as people with cystic fibrosis live longer into adulthood, they are encountering new challenges and issues.
The charities will look to share expertise and run joint events to promote the importance of sharing knowledge about ageing, and in working with disease-specific charities to build a unified voice in ageing research. They hope that shared knowledge could help in the prevention of other age-related diseases, and the BRSA is looking to form similar partnerships with other disease- specific charities.
As people with CF live longer lives, they may also be at increased risk of age-related conditions, but there is still a lot of research needed to be able to understand why this is, and how it can be prevented.
Cystic Fibrosis Trust has partnered with the BRSA, the oldest Society in the world researching the biology of ageing, as part of our commitment to help find out more about future health challenges that people with CF might face, and how we might tackle these.
Claire Walter, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Partnership Manager at Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have formed a new partnership with the British Society for Research on Ageing. Research into growing older and ageing with CF is a top research priority for people living with CF and we’re keen to work with other organisations to help us address it.
“We are funding research to find out more about the many unknowns about the health of people with CF in the future, from pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood; to the risks of developing diseases of older age such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. We won’t stop until everyone with CF can live a life unlimited.”
As healthcare continues to improve, we are seeing more and more diseases co-exist with ageing for the first time. These successes create new challenges that the BSRA is uniquely placed to help solve. We’re pleased to partner with Cystic Fibrosis Trust to improve our understanding of how CF affects people across their lifespan, and how we can help people living with CF to live longer, healthier lives.
Prof David Weinkove, Chair of the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA)
At our annual meeting this year, we’re pleased to be hosting Cystic Fibrosis Trust to participate in a panel discussion on how understanding the biology of ageing can help with prevention of disease.
Alongside other major charities, Cystic Fibrosis Trust and BSRA are signatories to a statement of intent to enable and support older people and those with multiple long-term conditions to take part in research published earlier this week. The statement is backed by Sir Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer.
Find out more about Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s research goal to enable people with CF to live longer lives, and the research we’re funding.