COPD set to reach about 600 million cases worldwide by 2050

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is projected to continue increasing through 2050, approaching 600 million patients with COPD globally by 2050, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Elroy Boers, Ph.D., from ResMed Science Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and colleagues conducted a modeling study to examine the global burden of COPD through 2050 considering COPD risk factors. Generalized additive models were developed, which included smoking prevalence, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and development indices as predictors to project global COPD prevalence.

The researchers estimate that from 2020 to 2050, the number of COPD cases will increase by 23 percent globally among those aged 25 years and older, approaching 600 million patients with COPD globally by 2050.

The growth in COPD burden was projected to be largest among women and in low- and middle-income regions. By 2050, the number of cases in women was projected to increase by 47.1 percent compared with a 9.4 percent increase in men, and the number of cases in low- and middle-income regions was projected to be more than double that of high-income regions.

"Further research, prevention, and advocacy is needed to address these issues so that adequate preparation and resource allocation can take place," the authors write.