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Morbidity and mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
1Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|September 1, 1989
Summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality stabilized for men but increased for women. Declining COPD mortality trends are observed in recent birth cohorts, with smoking identified as a key contributing factor.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a significant public health concern with complex mortality trends.
- Understanding demographic and temporal variations in COPD mortality is crucial for effective public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality trends in Canada from 1950 to 1984.
- To examine variations in COPD mortality by age, sex, birth cohort, and province.
- To investigate COPD hospital morbidity and physician service utilization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the National Mortality Database of Statistics Canada for mortality data (1950-1984).
- Analyzed provincial hospital statistics (1971-1984) for age-specific hospital separation rates.
- Assessed physician claims data for COPD service utilization in one province.
Main Results:
- COPD mortality has plateaued for males and is increasing for females.
- Mortality trends differ between COPD and asthma, with distinct patterns for chronic bronchitis-emphysema.
- Decreased COPD mortality observed in birth cohorts after 1920-1924 for both sexes; smoking is a significant factor in observed variations.
Conclusions:
- Projected decrease in age-standardized COPD mortality in the near future.
- Smoking habits correlate with sex, birth cohort, regional, and socioeconomic variations in COPD mortality.
- Hospital morbidity for COPD is higher in men, especially over 65; mortality/morbidity ratios remained stable.