title: COPD prevalence in a north-eastern Italian general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  COPD prevalence estimates vary mostly depending on different study methodologies. We evaluated the prevalence and clinical features of COPD, as defined by GOLD and ERS/ATS recommendations in a representative sample of Northern Italy general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized cross-sectional study was performed. The study participants completed a questionnaire covering: key indicators for considering a diagnosis of COPD, self-reported physician diagnoses of respiratory disease, pharmacological treatment for respiratory disease, indirect costs, occupational and environmental exposures. They also underwent spirometry and physician assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 1236 subjects. Daily respiratory symptoms were experienced by 26.7%. Of this group, only 30.7% had previously performed a spirometry. The overall COPD prevalence was: 11.7% according to GOLD criterion; 9.1% according to LLN criterion; 6.8% according to self-reported physician diagnosis. Of note, 48,8% of subjects with a reported diagnosis of COPD had never undergone a spirometry before the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides an estimation of COPD prevalence in a representative sample of Northern Italy general population relying on both clinical symptoms and spirometry outcomes, and describes the different prevalence rates depending on the adopted diagnostic criterion. Spirometry underuse may account for under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis of COPD. It may result in a major impact on quality of life as well as in economic burden.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: massimo.guerriero@univr.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guerriero
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Verona University and General Hospital, Piazzale Stefani 1, 37126 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: ma.caminati@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caminati
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology "Alberto Monroy" (IBIM), CNR, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy; Clinical Physiology (IFC), CNR, Via Trieste 41, 56123 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: viegi@ibim.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viegi
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Verona University and General Hospital, Piazzale Stefani 1, 37126 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: gianenrico.senna@ospedaleuniverona.it.
authors.forename: Gianenrico
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Senna
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistic and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano Bicocca, Via Bicocca Degli Arcimboldi 8, 20126 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: giancarlo.cesana@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cesana
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Unit, Sacro Cuore - Don Calabria Hospital, Via Don A. Sempreboni, 5, 37024 Negrar, Verona, Italy. Electronic address: carlo.pomari@sacrocuore.it.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pomari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Airflow limitation; GLI 2012; LLN; Prevalence; Respiratory symptoms