title: Age and sex variations in hospital readmissions for COPD associated with overall and cardiac comorbidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine sex and age variations in hospital readmissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated with overall and cardiac comorbid conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A one-year follow-up study was conducted for 108 726 COPD in-patients aged >or=40 years who were discharged alive after their first admission in the 1999-2000 fiscal year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within a year, 38 955 of the patients were readmitted to hospital for COPD. The incidence rate of COPD readmission was 49.1% per year. It was higher for men than women aged >or=70 years, but was almost the same for patients aged <70 years. The length of hospital stay and the Charlson Index at baseline moderately predicted 1-year COPD readmission in younger age groups and in female patients. Congestive heart failure at baseline was associated with a 20% increase in incidence that was age-related. Pulmonary heart disease was less common but was a significant predictor in almost all age and sex groups. Ischemic heart disease and arrhythmia were moderate predictors, and were only significant in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women aged <70 years had rates of COPD readmission similar to those of men. Cardiac events were strongly associated with COPD readmissions, which were modified by sex and age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ychen@uottawa.ca
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011660:Pulmonary Heart Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries