Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare, deadly lung disease. Diagnosis and treatment possibilities are dependent on countries’ health systems. Comparison between countries is difficult due to data heterogenity. Our aim was to analyze IPF patients in Central and Eastern Europe using the uniform data from European Multipartner IPF registry (EMPIRE) involving 7 countries.
Newly diagnosed IPF patients (n=1114) from Czech Republic (n=554, 70.0% men (M)), Turkey (n=197, 74.2% M), Poland (n=140, 72.9% M), Slovakia (n=89, 70.8% M), Hungary (n=88, 48.9% M), Serbia (n=28, 42.9% M) and Croatia (n=21, 90.5% M) were included. Baseline characteristics, lung function, HRCT pattern, comorbidities and treatment data were analyzed.
Patients were significantly older in Poland than in Turkey and Serbia. Former smokers were most common in Croatia (95.5%), least frequent in Serbia (35.7%). Baseline FVC was between 50-80% in 50.9% and >80% in 42.2% of patients. Most IPF patients with FVC>80% were registered in Poland (61%) and Slovakia (58%); the lowest in Croatia (32%) and Turkey (33%). Typical UIP pattern was present in 75.4% of all patients, ranging from 96.4% (Turkey) to 57.1% (Serbia). Most common comorbidities were cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases, with huge intercountry differences. Majority of patients did not receive antifibrotic therapy; only 31.5% ever used pirfenidone (range 4.3-46.7% between countries) and 22.1% nintedanib (range 0-71.4% between countries) treatment.
Significant differences in IPF patient characteristics and access to antifibrotic therapies exist in EMPIRE countries which needs further investigation and strategies to improve patient care in this region.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2018 52: Suppl. 62, PA2204.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2018