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.
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