Over-70s account for more than 80% of all idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis prevalent cases and deaths despite comprising just 9% of the population, researchers say.

Their modelling, which also shows a higher burden of disease among men than in women, is the first to provide a national epidemiological profile of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in Australia.

“[Our] study addresses an information gap important for policy, planning and to help optimise the allocation of resources for the management of patients with IPF,” the University of Tasmania-led team reported.

Using the novel Mortality Incidence Analysis Model method, they estimated incidence, prevalence and mortality trends for the chronic lung disease from 1997-2015 and projected the future burden of disease.