CF Donut

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a complex condition, with many changing and interacting elements.

This complexity only multiplies when we step back to contemplate the connections between CF and the rest of the systems in the body.

For many people who grapple daily with this condition, CF can seem like an island world all of its own, but the purpose of this health portal is to raise another perspective. In order to explore the implications, associations and co-morbidities of CF in the human body it is important to think of CF itself as the hole in a donut, from all sides of which spring different (but connected) tissues of related material.

Issues like obesity impinge on the CF world in the wake of weight gain due to CFTR modulators. Issues like global pandemics and air pollution impinge on the CF world due to compromised lung function in our community.

There are commonly acknowledged CF co-morbidities, like CF-related diabetes and there are less explored but equally crucial co-morbidities (liked the increased rate of colorectal adenomas in CF populations) that are coming to light due to increased life expectancies in our group.

The borders of CF are also its frontiers. These roomy and sometimes rocky perimeters of the CF world are the key to expanding our medical knowledge and our effectiveness as advocates.

It is important to understand CF co-morbidities and disease interactions because uniting around common causes brings energy and knowledge into our movement. CFA wants to collaborate with those who share our challenges, and we want to enjoy the advantage of insights, technologies and techniques that were developed in other sectors.

The CF Donut is an ambitious platform that can only truly succeed in its stated purpose through ongoing collaboration and editing. Journals and indeed entire books have been dedicated to contextualising cystic fibrosis, and we are currently doing our best to synthesise and centralise that information.

We know that the CF Donut can only hint at what is out there, but we hope that this foretaste of future possibilities will inspire our community to follow the rabbit-hole and help forge a more integrated and fully networked CF community.