Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common, life-limiting, inherited disease in Caucasian populations. Currently in the UK, there are approximately 8000 people with CF and 3 million healthy carriers. It is an autosomal recessively inherited condition that causes multisystem disease, particularly affecting the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. CF occurs in 1 in 2500 live births so with the advent of national newborn screening for this condition, GPs are likely to face more consultations relating to CF. The aim of this article is to give an overview of CF including its genetics, screening programme and diagnosis, clinical features, current management and future therapies.
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