Risk prediction and end-points in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: one step at a time.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive lung disease with a median survival of approximately 3 years from diagnosis. Accurate prediction of mortality is important in IPF, as it helps determine the urgency of lung transplantation, guides other management and end-of-life decisions, and facilitates enrichment of clinical trial populations. Although most patients with IPF die from progressive respiratory failure [1], predicting outcomes is challenging due to the heterogeneity of disease progression.