Abstract
BackgroundThe burden of undiagnosed obstructive lung disease (OLD) (mainly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is not fully established, and targets for corrective action are yet to be identified. We assessed the underdiagnosis of OLD and its determinants in France.MethodsCONSTANCES is a French population-based cohort of adults aged 18–69 years at inception. We analysed data collected at inclusion in 2013–2014. Undiagnosed OLD was defined as spirometry-confirmed airflow limitation (FEV1/FVC < lower limit of normal) without prior diagnosis of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or bronchiectasis. Multivariate analysis was performed with weighted robust Poisson regression models to estimate the adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) of undiagnosed OLD.ResultsSpirometry results were available for 19,398 participants. The prevalence of airflow limitation was 4.6%. Overall, 64.4% of adults with airflow limitation did not report a previous diagnosis of OLD. Individuals with high cumulative tobacco consumption (≥ 10 pack-years) (aPR: 1.72 [1.28–2.32]), without respiratory symptoms (aPR: 1.51 [1.28–1.78]), and with preserved lung function (aPR: 1.21 [1.04–1.41] for a 10-point increase in FEV1% predicted) had a higher risk of being undiagnosed. Half of symptomatic individuals with airflow limitation (45% of those with moderate to severe airflow limitation) were undiagnosed with OLD.ConclusionUnderdiagnosis of OLD is very common among French adults, even in patients with respiratory symptoms. Efforts should be made in France to raise awareness about OLD in the general population, improve the detection of respiratory symptoms, and increase the use of spirometry among primary care professionals.
Highlights
Obstructive lung disease (OLD), which mainly relates to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is both common and serious, representing a growing public health challenge worldwide [1]
We considered only participants with airflow limitation (FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) < lower limit of normal (LLN))
Men with airflow limitation were more likely to report a previous diagnosis of COPD and cardiovascular comorbidities
Summary
Obstructive lung disease (OLD), which mainly relates to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is both common and serious, representing a growing public health challenge worldwide [1]. Undiagnosed OLD is associated with negative health outcomes such as respiratory symptoms, functional impairment and exacerbation, treatment delays, and substantial healthcare utilisation [7,8,9]. Identifying the factors that contribute to undiagnosed OLD is essential. The present analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed OLD and identify the risk factors for underdiagnosis in the large French populationbased CONSTANCES cohort. The burden of undiagnosed obstructive lung disease (OLD) (mainly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is not fully established, and targets for corrective action are yet to be identified. We assessed the underdiagnosis of OLD and its determinants in France
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