Rural COPD Burden

Key points

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. It includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
  • Rural communities experience higher rates of COPD, COPD-related hospitalizations covered by Medicare, and COPD deaths than urban communities.
  • Learn about rural COPD data measures published in a CDC report.
Senior Man Coughing due to Asthma

Overview

Data released in a 2015 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)1 showed that rural US residents experienced higher rates of COPD, COPD-related hospitalizations covered by Medicare, and deaths than residents in more urban counties (those with populations of at least 10,000 people). The data showed:

  • The percentage of adults in rural areas with COPD was 8.2%, or nearly double the 4.7% of adults with COPD in large metropolitan areas.
  • Hospitalizations for COPD among Medicare enrollees in rural areas were about 14 per 1,000, but only about 11 per 1,000 in large metropolitan centers.
  • Death rates in rural areas from COPD were about 55 people per 100,000, compared to 32 people per 100,000 who died from COPD in large metropolitan areas.

For the three data measures above, Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia were the states in the highest quartiles for 2015. Of these, four states, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia, were also in the highest quartile (≥18%) for percentage of rural residents.

CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report infographic with the following statistics about the COPD burden in rural America during 2015: There were 15 million people in rural America with COPD and more than 150,000 deaths. Rural Americans had COPD at a rate of 8.2% as opposed to 4.7% of people who live in large metro areas. People with COPD should not smoke, get flu and pneumococcal vaccines, be physically active, and ask about pulmonary rehab. Note: COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. 2015 data published in Croft et al. MMWR, Feb 2018 https://go.use/gov/xnFtD.
The COPD burden is higher in rural America.
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  1. Croft JB, Wheaton AG, Liu Y, et al. Urban-Rural County and State Differences in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease — United States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018;67:205–211. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6707a1External.