How Many Patients with Diagnosed COPD Truly Have It?

Diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were incorrect in about 62% of cases.

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) initiative is an ongoing population-based international study designed to estimate the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Previously, it showed that as many as 81% of COPD cases worldwide are undiagnosed (Chest 2015; 148:971). Now, researchers have examined the rate of COPD overdiagnosis.

Among 16,177 patients, 919 (5.7%) reported receiving previous medical diagnoses of COPD; however, spirometry that was performed during the study showed that only 38% of such patients had postbronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratios (forced expiratory volume in 1 second:forced vital capacity) lower than the lower limit of normal. Thus, 62% of patients who received COPD diagnoses from physicians wer…

Reviewing Author

David J. Amrol, MD

Disclosures

Speaker’s BureauAstraZeneca; Incyte

David J. Amrol, MD

Disclosures

Speaker’s BureauAstraZeneca; Incyte

How Many Patients with Diagnosed COPD Truly Have It?

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Reviewing Author