title: Prevalence of Airflow Obstruction in U.S. Adults Aged 40-79 Years: NHANES Data 1988-1994 and 2007-2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study evaluated the change in the prevalence of airflow obstruction in the U.S. population 40-79 years of age from years 1988-1994 to 2007-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spirometry data from two representative samples of the U.S. population, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) conducted in 1988-1994 and 2007-2010, were used. The American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) criteria were used to define airflow obstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on ATS/ERS criteria, the overall age-adjusted prevalence of airflow obstruction among adults aged 40-79 years decreased from 16.6% to 14.5% (p < 0.05). Significant decreases were observed for the older age category 60-69 years (20.2% vs. 15.4%; p < 0.01), for males (19.0% vs. 15.4%; p < 0.01), and for Mexican American adults (12.7% vs. 8.4%; p < 0.001). The prevalence of moderate and more severe airflow obstruction decreased also (6.4% vs. 4.4%; p < 0.01). Based on ATS/ERS criteria, during 2007-2010, an estimated 18.3 million U.S. adults 40-79 years had airflow obstruction, 5.6 million had moderate or severe airflow obstruction and 1.4 million had severe airflow obstruction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall age-adjusted prevalence of airflow obstruction among U.S. adults aged 40-79 years decreased from 1988-1994 to 2007-2010, especially among older adults, Mexican Americans, and males.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Repiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Morgantown , WV , USA.
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doney
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hnizdo
authors.forename: Charles F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: Ryne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paulose-Ram
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tilert
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolz
authors.forename: Lu-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Beeckman-Wagner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: NHANES; airflow obstruction; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; spirometry