Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a common type of interstitial lung disease (ILD) that causes scarring of the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. Lung damage caused by progressive scarring worsens over time and cannot be reversed, eventually leading to pulmonary failure and death. The latest estimates suggest IPF accounts for 1% of all deaths in the United Kingdom (1).
Patients with IPF typically undergo basic resting lung function testing where measurements such as forced vital capacity (FVC) and the lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) are routinely interpreted alongside radiological assessments for evaluating clinical status and mortality risk (2). However, it has also been well established in several other patient conditions associated with chronic cardiac and/or pulmonary diseases that evaluating cardiorespiratory function associated with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can generate strong clinical information and prognostic indicators, including peak exercise oxygen uptake...