title: COPD prevalence in Salzburg, Austria: results from the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  COPD is projected to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease initiative was started to measure the prevalence of COPD in a standardized way and to provide estimates of the social and economic burden of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed a gender-stratified, population-based sample of 2,200 adults >or= 40 years of age. The findings of prebronchodilator and postbronchodilator spirometry, as well as information on smoking and reported respiratory disease was recorded. Irreversible airflow obstruction was defined as a postbronchodilator FEV(1)/FVC ratio of < 0.70.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 1,258 participants with good-quality postbronchodilator spirometry findings, the overall prevalence of COPD at stage I or higher was 26.1%, and was equal in men and women. The prevalence of COPD stage II or higher (FEV(1)/FVC ratio, < 0.7; FEV(1), < 80% predicted) was 10.7%. The prevalence of COPD stage I+, and COPD stage II+, increased with age and cigarette smoking. A doctor diagnosis of COPD was reported by only 5.6% of participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One quarter of residents of Salzburg County (Austria) who were >or= 40 years of age had at least mild irreversible airflow obstruction. The high prevalence of COPD highlights the impending health-care crisis that will affect many countries as a result of this greatly underappreciated condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Paracelsus Private Medical School, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schirnhofer
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lamprecht
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Vollmer
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Studnicka
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: A Sonia
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Buist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires