Abstract Background: In the developing world, COPD continues to be an under studied, diagnosed and treated disorder. In the present study, we analyzed the prevalence, mortality and resource utilization of COPD in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in order to guide future research and public policies.
Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed following MOOSE and PRISMA guidance. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, countries' Ministries of Health, proceedings, and doctoral theses from January 1990 to October 2012. We included studies with a validated definition of COPD that assessed the incidence, prevalence, use of health care resources or costs since 1985. Using EROS, a web-based software, pairs of reviewers independently selected, performed quality assessment (using a STROBE-based checklist) and extracted the study data. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Arcsine transformations and random-effects model were used for proportion meta-analyses.
Results: 26 articles met entry criteria. The pooled COPD prevalence defined by GOLD criteria (11 cities, 6 countries) was 13.4% (95%CI, 10.1-17.1). Most patients suffer mild or moderate COPD and were undertreated according to international guidelines. The prevalence increased by age and was 1.75 times higher in men than women. 35 of every 1,000 hospitalizations were due to COPD, most of high economic cost, and the COPD in-hospital mortality ranged from 6.7% to 29.5%.
Conclusions: COPD burden in LAC is high, especially for men and older persons; however few persons had severe disease. COPD patients often received inappropriate treatment and had high exacerbation and hospitalization rates leading to high economic costs.
Keywords: Prevalence; adult; cost of illness; population surveillance.