Descriptive Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in US Nursing Home Residents With Heart Failure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is highly prevalent in older adults with heart failure and heart failure is highly prevalent in older adults with COPD. Information is presently lacking about the extent to which COPD and heart failure co-occur among nursing home residents. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of, and factors associated with, COPD among nursing home residents with heart failure. This cross-sectional study included 97,495 long-term stay nursing home residents with heart failure in 2018. The Minimum Data Set 3.0 (MDS) provided information on sociodemographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, and activities of daily living. Heart failure and COPD were defined based on notes at admission, hospitalizations, progress notes, and through physical examination findings. The majority of the study population were ≥75 years old (74.1%), women (67.3%), and Non-Hispanic Whites (77.4%). Nearly 1 in 5 residents had reduced ejection fraction findings, 23.1% had a preserved ejection fraction, and 53.8% of nursing home residents with heart failure had COPD. This pulmonary condition was less frequently noted in women, residents of advanced age, and racial/ethnic minorities and more frequently diagnosed in residents with comorbid conditions such as pneumonia, anxiety, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease. We found a high prevalence of COPD, and identified several factors associated with COPD, in nursing home residents with heart failure. Our findings highlight challenges in the clinical management of COPD in nursing home residents with heart failure and how best to meet the care needs of this understudied population.