Mechanisms for Vascular Dysfunction and Exercise Tolerance in CF

Cystic fibrosis has many health consequences. A reduction in the ability to perform exercise in patients with CF is related to greater death rates, steeper decline in lung function, and more frequent lung infections. However, the physiological mechanisms for this reduced exercise capacity are unknown. The investigators recently published the first evidence of systemic vascular dysfunction in patients with CF. Therefore, it is reasonable to suspect that the blood vessels are involved with exercise intolerance in CF. This study will look at how and if oxidative stress contributes to both artery dysfunction and exercise intolerance in CF.