JAMA Netw Open

COPD projected to reach 600 million cases worldwide by 2050

December 13, 2023

In this modeling study, global COPD prevalence was projected to approach 600 million cases worldwide by 2050, which represents a relative growth of 23% in the number of individuals with COPD compared with 2020. 

• To project global COPD prevalence to 2050, researchers developed generalized additive models, taking into account smoking prevalence, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and development indices as predictors, and stratified by age, sex, and World Bank region.
• Growth in the burden of COPD was projected to be the largest among women and in low- and middle-income regions.
• The number of female cases was projected to increase by 47.1% (vs. a 9.4% increase for males).
• The number of cases in low- and middle-income regions was expected to be more than double that of high-income regions by 2050.

Source:

Boers E, et al. (2023, December 1). JAMA Netw Open. Global Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Through 2050. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38060225/