Who Is At Risk for Cystic Fibrosis

About 30,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis (CF).

• It affects both males and females.
• It affects people from all racial and ethnic groups but is most common among Caucasians whose ancestors came from northern Europe.

CF is one of the most common inherited diseases among Caucasians.

About 1 in every 3,000 babies born in the United States has CF.

CF is also common in:

• Latinos
• Native Americans, especially the Pueblo and Zuni

CF is much less common among:

• African Americans
• Asian Americans

About 12 million Americans are carriers of an abnormal CF gene. Many of them do not know that they are CF carriers.