Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Brazil: Mortality and Hospitalization Trends and Rates, 1996-2008

Setting: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death among adults in Brazil.

Objective: To evaluate the mortality and hospitalisation trends in Brazil caused by COPD during the period 1996-2008.

Design: We used the health official statistics system to obtain data about mortality (1996-2008) and morbidity (1998-2008) due to COPD and all respiratory diseases (tuberculosis: codes A15-16; lung cancer: code C34, and all diseases coded from J40 to 47 in the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases) as the underlying cause, in persons aged 45-74 years. We used the Joinpoint Regression Program log-linear model using Poisson regression that creates a Monte Carlo permutation test to identify points where trend lines change significantly in magnitude/direction to verify peaks and trends.

Results: The annual per cent change in age-adjusted death rates due to COPD declined by 2.7% in men (95%CI -3.6 to -1.8) and -2.0% (95%CI -2.9 to -1.0) in women; and due to all respiratory causes it declined by -1.7% (95%CI 2.4 to -1.0) in men and -1.1% (95%CI -1.8 to -0.3) in women. Although hospitalisation rates for COPD are declining, the hospital admission fatality rate increased in both sexes.

Conclusion: COPD is still a leading cause of mortality in Brazil despite the observed decline in the mortality/hospitalisation rates for both sexes.