Gender-specific estimates of COPD prevalence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Vol. 13; pp. 1507 - 1514
• Main Authors: Ntritsos, Georgios, Franek, Jacob, Belbasis, Lazaros, Christou, Maria A, Markozannes, Georgios, Altman, Pablo, Fogel, Robert, Sayre, Tobias, Ntzani, Evangelia E, Evangelou, Evangelos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2018; Dove Medical Press Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Age; Air pollution; Chronic obstructive lung disease; COPD; Disease; Estimates; Gender; Geography; Indoor air quality; Library management; Medical research; Meta-Analysis; Mortality; Original Research; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Public health; Quality control; Spirometry; Systematic review; Tobacco; Women; Womens health; United States > US; meta-analysis; prevalence; gender; systematic review; age; COPD
• ISSN: 1178-2005; 1176-9106; 1178-2005
• DOI: 10.2147/copd.s146390

COPD has been perceived as being a disease of older men. However, >7 million women are estimated to live with COPD in the USA alone. Despite a growing body of literature suggesting an increasing burden of COPD in women, the evidence is limited. To assess and synthesize the available evidence among population-based epidemiologic studies and calculate the global prevalence of COPD in men and women. A systematic review and meta-analysis reporting gender-specific prevalence of COPD was undertaken. Gender-specific prevalence estimates were abstracted from relevant studies. Associated patient characteristics as well as custom variables pertaining to the diagnostic method and other important epidemiologic covariates were also collected. A Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis was performed investigating gender-specific prevalence of COPD stratified by age, geography, calendar time, study setting, diagnostic method, and disease severity. Among 194 eligible studies, summary prevalence was 9.23% (95% credible interval [CrI]: 8.16%-10.36%) in men and 6.16% (95% CrI: 5.41%-6.95%) in women. Gender prevalences varied widely by the World Health Organization Global Burden of Disease subregions, with the highest female prevalence found in North America (8.07% vs 7.30%) and in participants in urban settings (13.03% vs 8.34%). Meta-regression indicated that age ≥40 and bronchodilator testing contributed most significantly to heterogeneity of prevalence estimates across studies. We conducted the largest ever systematic review and meta-analysis of global prevalence of COPD and the first large gender-specific review. These results will increase awareness of COPD as a critical woman's health issue.