Which factor is a significant indicator of adverse outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis?

The significant indicator of adverse outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis is related to right heart dysfunction. This complication arises due to the chronic pulmonary pathophysiology inherent in Cystic Fibrosis, which often leads to prolonged pulmonary hypertension. As the disease progresses, the right ventricle must work harder to pump blood through the damaged and constricted pulmonary arteries, eventually resulting in right heart dysfunction or cor pulmonale. This can lead to severe cardiovascular complications and decreased exercise tolerance, impacting overall morbidity and mortality in individuals with Cystic Fibrosis.

The other factors, while relevant to the disease, do not independently indicate adverse outcomes to the same extent. Loss of function in the CFTR gene is the underlying pathological mechanism of the disease and is essential for diagnosis, but it does not directly correlate with the clinical severity faced in individual patients. Carrier rates are important for understanding genetics and transmission of the disease but don’t signify individual patient outcomes. Bacterial lung infections are common in Cystic Fibrosis and contribute to clinical decline, but they are often a result of the underlying disease rather than a standalone indicator of worsening outcomes comparable to the implications of right heart dysfunction.