The use of oxygen at rest is associated with a greater likelihood of death or lung transplant in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study shows. The results also showed that lower lung function at the start of the study, as measured by tests like forced vital capacity (FVC), was predictive of a higher likelihood of transplant or death. Because IPF is a progressive disease, with a clinical course that varies from person to person, it is important for researchers and clinicians to be able to identify those patients at greater risk for more severe disease.

In this study, researchers used statistical models to determine whether there were associations between various patient characteristics — including age, sex, and markers of lung function — and disease outcome.

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