Abstract
Background: The smoking prevalence in Sweden has steadily decreased during three decades. The prevalence of COPD in Sweden in the 1990s and around the millennium shift was similar to neighboring European countries, i.e. estimated at 11-17%, and of moderate to severe COPD to 7-11%, in ages over 40y.
Aim: Has the prevalence of chronic airway obstruction (CAO) and of COPD in Sweden decreased after decades of decreasing smoking prevalence?
Methods: Within two large scale population studies in progress, the West Sweden Asthma Study (WSAS) and the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden Studies (OLIN), the prevalence of COPD in ages 41-72y was calculated among randomly selected subjects from the general population in 2009-2012. The following post-bronchodilator definitions were used; CAO: FEV1/FVC<LLN and FEV1/FVC<0.7; moderate to severe CAO: FEV1/FVC<LLN with FEV1<LLN, and FEV1/FVC<0.7 with FEV1<80% of predicted. In line with the GOLD 2017 guidelines, both CAO and respiratory symptoms were required for the diagnosis of COPD.
Results: The prevalence of CAO based on the FEV1/FVC<LLN and FEV1/FVC<0.7 criteria, respectively, was 6.4% and 10.3%, while the corresponding prevalence of COPD was 5.6% and 8.4%. The prevalence of moderate to severe CAO was 4.0% (LLN-criterion) and 5.0% (fixed ratio-criterion) and of moderate to severe COPD 3.8% and 4.4%, respectively. Main risk factors for both CAO and COPD were smoking, male sex and increasing age.
Conclusion: As prevalence of COPD defined as chronic airway obstruction before and around the millennium shift was estimated at 11-17% in ages >40 years, the prevalence of COPD has decreased in Sweden, and the decrease in smoking over decades is probably the main causal factor.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2018 52: Suppl. 62, OA1935.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2018