The Importance of Cough in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a severe, chronic lung disorder characterized by progressive scarring of lung tissue, affecting millions worldwide. This disease significantly impacts quality of life, and its hallmark symptom is a persistent, nonproductive cough, which is crucial for early detection and monitoring disease progression.

IPF poses substantial economic burdens due to its high mortality rate and the complexity of its management, underlining the need for early detection and targeted management strategies.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Cough Facts

Median survival from IPF diagnosis is ~3 years (ref)

Nonproductive cough experienced by >80% of IPF patients (ref)
When cough is present in IPF, it is severe and difficult to treat (ref)

The Future of IPF with Cough Monitoring

• IPF causes progressive fibrosis of the lung tissues, worsening respiratory symptoms over time, including the severity and frequency of cough. Cough frequency in pulmonary fibrosis is higher than in people with asthma and COPD. Monitoring cough dynamics might lead to more insightful conversations about cough with a healthcare provider.
• Nonproductive cough is a significant symptom of IPF, often accompanying dyspnea. Monitoring cough dynamics and patterns might help in early detection and management.
• IPF can be challenging to diagnose due to its common symptoms with other diseases. Longitudinal cough monitoring might aid in better understanding the dynamics of the symptom and its trends.
• Chronic cough in IPF is associated with significantly reduced quality of life. Continuous monitoring of cough might provide valuable insights into disease progression and response to treatment.

Cough Monitoring with Hyfe

Hyfe (www.hyfe.ai) builds software that detects coughing via audio analysis on phones, watches, wearables, and other devices with mics. Cough detection is fully automated, using AI algorithms trained on the sounds of coughs of tens of thousands of individuals. Since the system runs fully on-device, no audio data is sent to servers, thereby ensuring full patient privacy. By using Hyfe’s technology to detect and quantify cough, healthcare organizations seeking to roll out or improve COPD remote patient monitoring can improve outcomes and cut costs.

Cough Monitoring for Other Indications

• Cough Monitoring and Ashtma
• Cough Monitoring and Lung Cancer
• Cough Monitoring and COPD
• Cough Monitoring and Congestive Heart Failure
• Cough Monitoring and COVID19

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