Chest
Scope of the COPD Problem in North America: Early Studies of Prevalence and NHANES III Data: Basis for Early Identification and Intervention
Section snippets
Earlier Prevalence Studies
Early regional COPD prevalence studies included Berlin, NH5; Tecumseh, MI6; and Glenwood Springs, CO.7 These studies surveyed subjects with somewhat different degrees of airflow obstruction and used dissimilar definitions of COPD. In all studies, an attempt was made to separate COPD from acute intermittent and/or reversible asthma.
In Berlin, NH, the prevalence of a broad designation, chronic nonspecific respiratory diseases, ranged from 15.4 to 39.1% in men, in different locations in the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III
A recent analysis of data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) documents the contemporary prevalence of obstructive lung disease (OLD) in large population samples.11 Full details of this study are beyond the scope of this presentation and have previously been reported11; however, there are a number of important findings that should be highlighted. Briefly, this study was limited to adults aged ≥ 17 years, who classified themselves as white or black, had
The Lung Health Study
The Lung Health Study showed that stopping smoking can greatly retard the rate of decline in FEV1 compared to continuing to smoke in a population aged 35 to 60 years. This landmark study forms an additional foundation for the early history of smoking in order to identify abnormality and risk of progressive impairment on the pathway to symptomatic COPD.14 Unfortunately, only a small percentage of subjects were able to stop smoking for the full 5 years of this study; only 22% who received special
Discussion
Early prevalence studies showed that COPD was common and related to smoking in various industrial and nonindustrial communities in the United States. Smoking was more prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s than in the period of the NHANES III study. For example, between 1983 and 1995, overall smoking prevalence among those aged ≥ 18 years declined from 34 to 26% for white men, from 41 to 29% for African-American men, from 30 to 24% among white women, and from 32 to 23% among African-American women.2
Summary
COPD has been known for many years to be a disease of high prevalence, both in industrialized and in nonindustrialized communities. Identification of patients with COPD-related symptoms and spirometric abnormalities identifies a population at risk for premature morbidity and mortality from both respiratory and nonrespiratory causes. The recent NHANES III population analysis sheds additional light on the high prevalence of OLDs, of which COPD is a major component. Since the majority of patients
References (26)
Changing smoking patterns and mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Prev Med
(1997)- et al.
Practical considerations for managing asthma in adults
Mayo Clin Proc
(1997) - et al.
Can moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease be diagnosed by historical and physical findings alone?
Am J Med
(1993) The prevention of emphysema
Chest
(1974)Test your lungs [editorial]
Chest
(1976)- National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat Series No. 10, 1998;...
Mortality patterns: preliminary data; United States–1996
Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
(1997)Strategies in preserving lung health and preventing COPD and associated diseases
Chest
(1998)- et al.
The prevalence of chronic respiratory disease in a New Hampshire town
Am Rev Respir Dis
(1962)