Decreased COPD prevalence in Sweden after decades of decrease in smoking

• Main Authors: Backman, Helena, Vanfleteren, Lowie, Lindberg, Anne, Ekerljung, Linda, Stridsman, Caroline, Axelsson, Malin, Nilsson, Ulf, Bright I. Nwaru, Sawalha, Sami, Berne Eriksson, Hedman, Linnea, Rådinger, Madeleine, Sven-Arne Jansson, Ullman, Anders, Kankaanranta, Hannu, Lötvall, Jan, Rönmark, Eva, Lundbäck, Bo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: figshare 2020
• Subjects: Molecular Biology; Biotechnology; Immunology; FOS Clinical medicine; 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; FOS Biological sciences; Science Policy; 111714 Mental Health; FOS Health sciences; 60506 Virology; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5190993; https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Decreased_COPD_prevalence_in_Sweden_after_decades_of_decrease_in_smoking/5190993

Abstract Background COPD has increased in prevalence worldwide over several decades until the first decade after the millennium shift. Evidence from a few recent population studies indicate that the prevalence may be levelling or even decreasing in some areas in Europe. Since the 1970s, a substantial and ongoing decrease in smoking prevalence has been observed in several European countries including Sweden. The aim of the current study was to estimate the prevalence, characteristics and risk factors for COPD in the Swedish general population. A further aim was to estimate the prevalence trend of COPD in Northern Sweden from 1994 to 2009. Methods Two large random population samples were invited to spirometry with bronchodilator testing and structured interviews in 2009–2012, one in south-western and one in northern Sweden, n = 1839 participants in total. The results from northern Sweden were compared to a study performed 15 years earlier in the same area and age-span. The diagnosis of COPD required both chronic airway obstruction (CAO) and the presence of respiratory symptoms, in line with the GOLD documents since 2017. CAO was defined as post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC