Understanding where and why COPD is most prevalent is key to helping ease the burden on both patients with COPD and the health care system. A study recently published in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, looked at data to determine which states see the most COPD cases.
According to a news release, the study, “Variation in Prevalence and Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by State and Insurance Type in the United States,” found that West Virginia had the highest rate of COPD at 143 cases per 1,000 insured individuals. Utah, meanwhile, had the lowest rate at 44 cases per 1,000 insured individuals.
The study used Medicare fee-for-service, Medicaid and commercial health insurance claims data from 2021 and found, during that year, approximately 11.7 million insured people had COPD. Researchers also analyzed acute inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits. In 2021, there were 1.8 million acute inpatient hospitalizations and 1.4 million emergency department visits related to COPD.
In addition, the study looked at mortality rates among people with COPD and found that 12 states and the District of Columbia had higher than average all-cause mortality rates but lower than average ages. Those 12 states are:
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Maine
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Tennessee
- Georgia
Carol Bazell, MD, MPH, lead author of the study and principal at Milliman, Inc., said that information about people with COPD and how they use the health care system is limited and that more research like this is needed.
“By exploring the variation in COPD prevalence and disease burden across states and payer types, we can better inform public health strategies to reduce the burden of COPD on both people living with the disease and the health care system,” she said.
