Abstract
Background: COPD is projected to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease initiative was started to measure the prevalence of COPD in a standardized way and to provide estimates of the social and economic burden of disease. Methods: We surveyed a gender-stratified, population-based sample of 2,200 adults ≥ 40 years of age. The findings of prebronchodilator and postbronchodilator spirometry, as well as information on smoking and reported respiratory disease was recorded. Irreversible airflow obstruction was defined as a postbronchodilator FEV 1/FVC ratio of < 0.70. Results: For 1,258 participants with good-quality postbronchodilator spirometry findings, the overall prevalence of COPD at stage I or higher was 26.1%, and was equal in men and women. The prevalence of COPD stage II or higher (FEV1/FVC ratio, < 0.7; FEV1, < 80% predicted) was 10.7%. The prevalence of COPD stage I+, and COPD stage II+, increased with age and cigarette smoking. A doctor diagnosis of COPD was reported by only 5.6% of participants. Conclusion: One quarter of residents of Salzburg County (Austria) who were & 40 years of age had at least mild irreversible airflow obstruction. The high prevalence of COPD highlights the impending health-care crisis that will affect many countries as a result of this greatly underappreciated condition.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 29-36 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | CHEST |
Volume | 131 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2007 |
Keywords
- Airway obstruction
- Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease
- COPD prevalence
- Smoking prevalence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine