title: The prevalence and incidence of COPD among urban older persons of Bangkok Metropolis.
abstract: COPD substantially affects the national healthcare resource and healthcare cost especially among the older persons. Identifying the accurate prevalence and incidence reflects the scale of problem posed by COPD. This epidemiological study using the criteria for diagnosing COPD based on ratio of FEV1.0/FVC less than 70 per cent and the reversibility of less than 15 per cent increase of post bronchodilator FEV1.0 in the absence of parenchymal lesions and cardiomegaly in CXR (PA and lateral view) revealed the prevalence (1998) of COPD among the 3094 older persons aged 60 years and over in the communities of Bangkok Metropolis 10 km around Siriraj Hospital was 7.11 per cent (95% CI: 6.21-8.01), whereas the incidence (1999) of COPD was 3.63 per cent (95% CI: 2.83-4.43). Both the prevalence and the incidence were increased with increasing age. The disease occurred predominantly among male smokers. The distribution of mild : moderate : severe COPD in the prevalence study was 5.6:2.2:1. The current findings also suggest that tobacco smoking is the prime important cause of COPD and the indoor pollution especially cooking smoke is not significant. In particular, the unexpectedly high incidence compared with prevalence in this population probably represents the warning message to the national policy maker for prompt and effective health promotion and disease prevention to prevent further social and economic loss.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
authors.forename: Khun Nanta
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Maranetra
authors.forename: Benjamas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chuaychoo
authors.forename: Wanchai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dejsomritrutai
authors.forename: Nitipatana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chierakul
authors.forename: Arth
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nana
authors.forename: Jariya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lertakyamanee
authors.forename: Chana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naruman
authors.forename: Tasneeya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suthamsmai
authors.forename: Sutee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sangkaew
authors.forename: Wichean
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sreelum
authors.forename: Montchai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aksornin
authors.forename: Jaroon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dechapol
authors.forename: Wichean
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sathet
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population