1,512
Views
85
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Mortality in the U.S. Population

, &
Pages 400-407 | Published online: 08 Dec 2011
 

Abstract

Background: COPD and asthma are common diseases in the U.S. population and can coexist. Our goal was to determine the prevalence of self-reported, physician-diagnosed asthma and COPD in a sample of the U.S. population and their association with lung function impairment and mortality. Methods: We used baseline data from NHANES III and the follow-up mortality data. We used logistic regression and Cox Proportional Hazards models, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, smoking status, and disease stage. Results: The sample consisted of 15,203 subjects, of whom 4,542 died during the follow-up period. Coexisting COPD and asthma was reported by 357 (2.7%), COPD by 815 (5.3%), and asthma by 709 (5.3%). Subjects with both conditions had a higher proportion of obstruction (30.9%) than those with COPD (24.3%), asthma (13.3%), or no lung disease (5.4%). In survival models adjusting for all factors except baseline lung function, coexisting COPD and asthma had the highest risk for mortality (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34, 2.49), followed by COPD only (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.28, 1.62), and asthma only (HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.94, 1.42). These affects were attenuated after controlling for baseline lung function: coexisting asthma and COPD (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.06, 1.98), COPD only (1.28, 95% CI 1.13, 1.45), and asthma only (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.85, 1.27). Conclusion: In this analysis, subjects who report coexisting asthma and COPD have a higher risk of obstruction on spirometry and a higher risk of death during follow-up.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.