@article {WaatevikP976, author = {Marie Waatevik and Trude Skorge and Ernst Omenaas and Per Bakke and Amund Gulsvik and Ane Johannessen}, title = {Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a general population in Norway}, volume = {40}, number = {Suppl 56}, elocation-id = {P976}, year = {2012}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {Introduction: The prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is increasing worldwide. There is need for regularly updated estimates to better monitor the burden of disease.Objectives: To present updated prevalence estimates and risk factors of Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) defined COPD in a general adult population.Methods: In the Hordaland County Cohort Study (HCCS), 1664 subjects aged 35-90 yrs answered questionnaires and performed spirometry in 2003-05. The prevalence of COPD was calculated using mean estimates, and risk factors for COPD were analysed using logistic regression.Results: In a previous study phase, prevalence of GOLD-defined COPD was 7\%. Nine years later, the prevalence was 14 \%. A vast majority (70\%) of the subjects experienced one or more respiratory symptoms, but only 1 out of 4 had a physician{\textquoteright}s diagnosis. As many as 1 out of 5 current smokers suffered from COPD, while approximately 1 out of 20 never-smokers had COPD. Significant risk factors for COPD were sex, age, smoking habits, pack-years and occupational exposure. Men had 1.7 (OR, 95\% CI 1.2, 2.3) higher odds of COPD than women. Subjects older than 65yrs had 10.3 (OR, 95\% CI 6.4, 16.5) times higher odds for COPD than subjects younger than 40yrs. Those who smoked more than 20 pack-years had 4.2 (OR, 95\% CI 2.6, 6.7) times higher odds for COPD than subjects smoking less than 10 pack-years.Conclusion: The prevalence of GOLD defined COPD had increased substantially, from 7\% to 14\%, during the last 9 years. There is still a large amount of under diagnosis in COPD, which indicates that the awareness of the disease including better diagnostic routines is needed.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P976}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P976.full.pdf}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }