[Analysis of pulmonary tuberculosis detection among patients aged 65 and older in China, 2015-2023]

Objective: To investigate the detection status of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among patients aged ≥65 years in China and provide evidence for improving PTB prevention and control in this population. Methods: The data were collected from the tuberculosis subsystem of Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System, and the case information of elderly PTB patients aged ≥65 years old who were registered in designated tuberculosis medical institutions nationwide from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2023.Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze trends in detection status, regional differences, and demographic characteristics. Results: From 2015 to 2023, 1 567 047 elderly PTB detection were identified, accounting for 25.1% of all PTB patients (1 567 047/6 243 215). The average registration rate for elderly PTB patients was 96.9 per 100 000, approximately twice that of the general population. The registration rate declined over the years (Z=-2.61, P=0.009) but increased in 2018 and 2023. The proportion of elderly PTB patients rose annually, from 21.3% in 2015 to 32.4% in 2023 (Z=2.30, P=0.022). Active case-finding accounted for only 3.0% (47 049/1 567 047) of patients on average during the study period, peaking at 7.3% (14 123/194 615) in 2018 before declining. The registration rates of elderly tuberculosis patients are relatively higher in central and western regions. In the central region, the average registration rate was 113.8 per 100 000, with a proportion of active case detection of 0.4% (2 532/570 059). In the western region, the average registration rate was 130.0 per 100 000, and the proportion of active case-finding was 7.6% (41 973/549 998). Subgroups with notably lower active detection proportions included males (2.5%, 27 443/1 101 091), those aged 80-84 years (2.2%, 2 978/133 855), and migrant populations (0.5%, 1 635/307 673). Conclusions: The burden of PTB among the elderly aged ≥65 years in China remains high, with a low proportion of active case-finding from 2015-2023. There is an urgent need to strengthen health education and active screening to improve the early diagnosis and prevention of tuberculosis in the elderly.