COPD Trends Brief - Burden | American Lung Association

Hospitalizations

From 2000 to 2015, the COPD hospitalization rate did not change on average year to year.
In 2019, there were close to 536,000 COPD hospitalizations, or 163.3 per 100,000 population.
From 2016 to 2019, the COPD hospitalization rate decreased an average of 17 points per year.

Emergency Department Visits

From 2006 to 2014, the COPD emergency department visit rate increased an average of 11 points per year.
In 2019, there were close to 1,320,000 COPD emergency department visits, or 401.9 per 100,000 population.
From 2016 to 2019, the COPD emergency department visit rate decreased an average of 8 points per year.

Economic Cost

The total economic cost of COPD is close to $50 billion each year, including $29.5 billion for direct health care expenditures, $12.4 billion for indirect mortality costs, and $8.0 billion for indirect morbidity costs.

Sources

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. HCUPnet, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, 2000-2019.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2020. Analysis by the American Lung Association Epidemiology and Statistics Unit using SPSS software.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. CDC WONDER On-line Database, compiled from Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2020, 2022.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey, 1999-2020. Analysis by the American Lung Association Research and Program Services Division of using SPSS software.

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Morbidity and Mortality: 2009 Chart Book on Cardiovascular, Lung and Blood Diseases.

Tilert T, Dillon C, Paulose-Ram R, et al. Estimating the U.S. Prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Using Pre- and Post-Bronchodilator Spirometry: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2010. Respiratory Research. 2013; 14(1):103.

United States Census Bureau. Population Estimates, 2009.

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