1.      Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) had more than twice the risk of cardiovascular disease.

2.      Risks were higher for ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, thromboembolic disease, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia, heart failure, and valvular disease.

3.      The review analyzed 28 studies from 10 countries, following PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO.

4.      High heterogeneity and retrospective study designs limited causal inference, with confounders like hypertension and dyslipidemia not consistently adjusted.

5.      Researchers noted aging and fibrosis create a pro-fibrotic microenvironment driving co-progression of IPF and cardiovascular disease.

Source: Frontiers in Medicine