IPF Mortality Rate Appears To Be Increasing, CDC Study Finds

Recent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that thousands of deaths from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may be linked to a person’s job, with occupational exposures accounting for approximately 21% of IPF-related mortality.

Jacek M. Mazurek, M.D., M.S., Ph.D.

The study, led by corresponding author Jacek M. Mazurek, M.D., M.S., Ph.D., of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for the CDC’s division of respiratory, was published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on March 6, 2025.

Mazurek and his colleagues used deaths recorded in the National Vital Statistics System’s database to conduct their study. They used International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes to identify people with IPF listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death. More specifically, they used the J84.1 code, although they also mention that there is no code specific to IPF.

During the three-year period encompassing 2020, 2021 and 2022, they found records of 67,843 deaths with IPF listed as the underlying (38,869, or 57.3%) or contributing (28,974, 42.7%) cause. IPF accounted for 0.7% of the 9,738,271 deaths. They noted that the overall age-adjusted mortality rate of 7.1 per 100,000 in their study was higher than the 5.3 per 100,000 rate reported in a study published in Chest in 2021 that looked at mortality trends from IPF from 2004 through 2017. Whether that is a true increase is unclear, they wrote. Improved diagnosis and differing research methodologies might be factors.

The highest number of IPF deaths were among people 75 and older (45,646, or 67.3%), men (39,712, or 58.5%), and White persons (61,356, or 90.4%).

Mazurek and his colleagues wrote that the causes of IPF are unknown but that it is associated with cigarette smoking, generic mutations and some viral infections. Occupational exposures have also been linked to IPF, including exposures to pesticides, wood and some metals (brass, lead and steel). Research has suggested that about one-fifth of IPF could be attributed to occupational exposure, but Mazurek and his colleagues noted that research was done outside the U.S. and may not apply to people living in the United States.

When they analyzed the data by industry, they found that the highest number of IPF deaths among men occurred in those with jobs in manufacturing (7,525, or 18.9%). Among women, the highest number was in healthcare and social assistance industries (4,277, or 15.2%).

Using the proportionate mortality rate (PMR) — the number of deaths assigned to a specific cause during a given time interval — they found the highest significantly elevated rates among men working in utilities and public administration and, among women, those who had worked in public administration.

The findings of higher IPF deaths in certain industries and occupations highlight areas for focused research and the implementation of workplace safety measures. The researchers noted this would involve using a hierarchy of controls (from eliminating hazards to providing personal protective equipment) to reduce or eliminate exposure to potential work-related causes.

Additionally, they noted, smoke-free workplace policies and tobacco cessation programs can help reduce tobacco smoke exposure, a known risk factor.

Although the authors admitted the findings require further confirmation, they feel it highlights the potential impact of workplace exposures on IPF risk and the need for continued research and efforts to control known risk factors.

“Estimates of elevated IPF mortality among workers in some industries and occupations warrant confirmation and continued surveillance to identify occupational exposures that could be targeted to prevent or reduce IPF mortality,” Mazurek and his colleagues wrote. “Continued research to confirm these findings and ongoing monitoring, including detailed work history collection and studies to identify specific occupational risks, are crucial for developing effective strategies and policies to protect workers’ health.”