An epidemiologic study of physician-diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Turkish population: COPDTURKEY-1

Abstract

Background/aim: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD is a common disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation and respiratory symptoms. It is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Our data on COPD in Turkey are limited. This study was intended to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of COPD in the Turkish population, between 2012 and 2016. Materials and methods: This population-based, descriptive, surveillance study examined physician-diagnosed COPD prevalence, incidence, and mortality in Turkey.The database of the Social Security System of Turkey was scanned and ICD-10 J44.0-J44.9 codes for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes were evaluated retrospectively. Results: In 2016, there were 3,434,262 cases of COPD 56.2% men in Turkey, and the mean age of patients was 61.62 ± 14.76 years. From 2012 to 2016, the annual overall prevalence rates of physician-diagnosed COPD rose from 4.3% to 5.8%, which was a 35.0% relative increase P