Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2003 May;123(5):1684-92.
doi: 10.1378/chest.123.5.1684.

Interpreting COPD prevalence estimates: what is the true burden of disease?

R J Halbert  1 , Sharon Isonaka, Dorothy George, Ahmar Iqbal
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Interpreting COPD prevalence estimates: what is the true burden of disease?

R J Halbert et al. Chest. 2003 May.

Abstract

Study objectives: To summarize the available data on COPD prevalence and assess reasons for conflicting prevalence estimates in the published literature.

Design: We reviewed published studies that (1) estimated COPD prevalence for a population, and (2) clearly described the methods used to obtain the estimates.

Results: Thirty-two sources of COPD prevalence rates, representing 17 countries and eight World Health Organization-classified regions, were identified and reviewed. Prevalence estimates were based on spirometry (11 studies), respiratory symptoms (14 studies), patient-reported disease (10 studies), or expert opinion. Reported prevalence ranged from 0.23 to 18.3%. The lowest prevalence rates (0.2 to 2.5%) were based on expert opinion. Sixteen studies had measured rates that could reasonably be extrapolated to an entire region or country. All were for Europe or North America, and most fell between 4% and 10%.

Conclusions: There is considerable variation in the reported prevalence of COPD. The overall prevalence in adults appears to lie between 4% and 10% in countries where it has been rigorously measured. Some of the variation attributed to differences in risk exposure or population characteristics may be influenced by the methods and definitions used to measure disease. Spirometry is least influenced by local diagnostic practice, but it is subject to variation based on the lung function parameters selected to define COPD.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms