Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Albania

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of COPD and its associated factors among adults in Albania. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Albania in 2013-14. A nation-wide representative sample of 1200 adults aged ≥40 years was selected using multistage cluster sampling technique. All participants were interviewed about socio-demographic characteristics, respiratory symptoms, smoking status and clinical characteristics. Spirometry was performed according to standard methods. COPD was defined as post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio <70% predicted. Results: Of the 1200 adults invited to participate, 939 adults or 78% (467 men and 472 women) were eligible for the study. The overall COPD prevalence (GOLD stage 1 or higher) was 12.4%; it was higher in men (17.4%) than in women (7.7%). Using Lower Limit of Normal (LLN), the prevalence of COPD was 9.9%, again higher in men (13.2%) than women (6.6%). The prevalence of doctor-diagnosed COPD was 1.3% (1.9% in men, 0.6 % in women). Male sex, smoking and increasing age were significantly associated with COPD diagnosis. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of COPD in Albania was 9.9% using BOLD standards. Smoking and increasing age were the main risk factors for COPD. The study highlights the importance of raising awareness of COPD among health professionals.   Conflicts of interest: None declared

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected