Introduction: Natural, social, and constructed environments play a critical role in the development and exacerbation of respiratory diseases. However, less is known regarding the influence of these environmental/community risk factors on the health of individuals living with cystic fibrosis (CF), compared to other pulmonary disorders.
Areas covered: Here, we review current knowledge of environmental exposures related to CF, which suggests that environmental/community risk factors do interact with the respiratory tract to affect outcomes. Studies discussed in this review were identified in PubMed between March 2019 and March 2020. Although the limited data available do not suggest that avoiding potentially detrimental exposures other than secondhand smoke could improve outcomes, additional research incorporating novel markers of environmental exposures and community characteristics obtained at localized levels is needed.
Expert opinion: As we outline, some environmental exposures and community characteristics are modifiable; if not by the individual, then by policy. We recommend a variety of strategies to advance understanding of environmental influences on CF disease progression.
Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; air pollution; climate; environment; geocoding; geographic; geomarker; secondhand smoke; socioeconomic status; stressors.