A NEW study using real-world data from the U.S. highlights how chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and common comorbidities, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diabetes, and osteoporosis, are closely linked to worse health outcomes. Researchers found that patients with COPD and these additional conditions experienced higher rates of exacerbations and significantly increased healthcare resource utilization, including emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
The study, which analyzed data from Optum’s de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database, revealed that GERD affected 44.9% of COPD patients, diabetes impacted 40.8%, and osteoporosis or osteopenia was present in 18.8%, all significantly higher than in patients without COPD. Importantly, COPD patients with these conditions had a 1.8 to 2.2 times higher risk of severe exacerbations and healthcare visits compared to those with COPD alone.
These findings underscore the systemic nature of COPD and the importance of managing comorbidities to improve patient outcomes. The study’s authors recommend that healthcare providers adopt integrated care strategies that target both COPD and its associated conditions to reduce exacerbations and alleviate the burden on healthcare systems.
Reference
Krishnan JK et al. Multimorbidities in COPD are associated with increased exacerbations and healthcare resource utilization in real-world patients from a U.S. database. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis. 2024;11(5):472-81.
Aleksandra Zurowska | AMJ
