[Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in France]

This paper aims to summarize the most recent data on the descriptive epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in France. Data are presented concerning the prevalence, mortality and hospital admissions. The prevalence of COPD is difficult to estimate due to the large degree of under-diagnosis and the difficulty of performing spirometry in population-based epidemiological surveys. The prevalence of chronic bronchitis was estimated at 4%, and the prevalence of COPD was estimated at 5-10%, among adults aged 45 years and older. Data from death certificates, although limited by the accuracy of certification, showed that the annual age-standardised mortality rates from COPD increased between 1979 and 2000 among women but remained stable among men. In 2006, about 16,500 death certificates mentioned COPD, of which 7400 identified it as the underlying cause of death. According to the French national hospital discharge database, the number of admissions related to an exacerbation of COPD ranged from 69,000 to 112,000 in 2006 according to the definition used. The admission rates have increased between 1998 and 2006 and this increase was more pronounced among women than among men. Large regional differences in COPD mortality and hospital admission rates were evident, with the highest rates in Northern and Eastern France and in Brittany.