Characteristics of adults dying with COPD.
OBJECTIVE
To describe factors associated with COPD deaths in the United States.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
A total of 12,803 decedents in the National Mortality Followback Survey, a nationally representative sample of US deaths in 1993.


METHODS
We compared the characteristics of adults > or = 35 years of age who died with COPD (bronchitis, emphysema, chronic airway obstruction) with those dying without COPD listed on their death certificates.


RESULTS
Of the estimated 225,400 adults who died with COPD in 1993, 16.7% had never smoked. People dying with COPD were more likely than those dying without COPD to be current smokers (odds ratio [OR], 6.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.3 to 9.9) or former smokers (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.5 to 5.3), have a history of asthma (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 3.2 to 7.8), be underweight (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 2.8 to 7.2), and be of the white race (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 2.4 to 4.0), after controlling for age group and sex.


CONCLUSIONS
A significant proportion of COPD-related deaths occurs in never-smokers. Factors such as a history of asthma and being underweight are associated with COPD mortality and may provide additional opportunities for intervention.
Meyer
Pamela A
PA
Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-17, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Mannino
David M
DM
Redd
Stephen C
SC
Olson
David R
DR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000401:mortality*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People