Does the place of residence influence the course of the CF?

Question

Dear expert team,
I ask myself, if the place of residence influences the course of the CF? That means concretely, if CF patients should prefer a residence next to the sea and if those who live in the up-country have a disadvantage due to the air there? Are there any studies on this topic? Is the quality of life and the life expectancy better/higher in the CF centers near the coast compared to the centers in middle and south of Germany?
Thank you!

Answer

Hello,
You ask, if the place of residence has an important influence on the course of the illness CF and if e.g. patients, who live next to the sea have a better life expectancy compared to patients living in the up-country due to better composition of the air.
On this question there are unfortunately no studies, that have been clarified this question scientifically secured. It is however securely proven, that the genetic disposition of CF patients and the quality of the medical care correlate to a high extent with the life expectancy of CF patients. In case you as parents of a child with CF can choose the place of resicdence completely freely, you should indeed look for a region, in that the pollution load of the air is small and a good, regular exchange of the air is possible. Therefore, a location in a basin should be rather avoided. Outskirts of town should be preferred to the inner city with roads full of traffic. Airing of the rooms at night should be possible without any problems.
The availability of a well-organized CF-center in relatively limited distance (if possible under 50 km distance) is of great importance in order that in case of acute problems the center can be visited instantly at any time.
Furthermore it is more important to live near the existing family and circle of friends, than in a questionable better climatical region, as the whole CF family has to life in a stable surronding economically secured. This does also mean, that the possibilities of working have to be taken into account.
In summary this means that you can indeed live in the south of Germany next to a good CF-center. During holiday, look for a climatic change with a journey into the bracing climate at the seaside.

Best regards,
Dr. H.-G. Posselt

17.02.2014