Cystic Fibrosis: A Common Genetic Disease

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Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease characterized by the buildup of thick, sticky mucus that can damage many of the body's organs. It is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a mutation in a gene. In order to pass on this disease, both parents must be carriers of the changed gene. Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disease within the Caucasian population of European descent in the U.S. The disease occurs in 1 in 3,200 Caucasian newborns. Cystic fibrosis is less common in other ethnic groups, affecting about 1 in 17,000 African Americans and 1 in 31,000 Asian Americans. The mucus linked with cystic fibrosis clogs the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. Therefore, this can cause wheezing, breathlessness, a persistent cough that produces thick spit, a decreased ability to exercise, repeated lung infections, and inflamed nasal passages or a stuffy nose.…show more content…
This leads to foul-smelling, greasy stools, poor weight gain and growth, intestinal blockage, and severe constipation. The average prognosis is about 30 years old. There are several fascinating facts about cystic fibrosis. Nearly 2,500 babies are born with cystic fibrosis in the U.S. each year. More than 10 million Americans carry the cystic fibrosis gene but don’t even know it. Patients with cystic fibrosis have to do daily physical therapy to clear mucus from the lungs. People who have cystic fibrosis lead a complicated life and we must consider these individuals as courageous human

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