An emerging population of middle-aged cystic fibrosis patients contains significantly more females and includes a large proportion of patients who lived for decades without a diagnosis or specialized care, according to research published by researchers at National Jewish Health. The comprehensive analysis of this over-40 cohort, published online May 20 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, may help guide future treatment of cystic fibrosis as survival past 40 becomes increasingly common. Rebecca Runyon discusses the diagnosis of her cystic fibrosis at age 49 and common misconceptions about the disease. Credit: National Jewish Health