Press Releases

Impact of Smoking on COPD Greater Than Suspected

That is the conclusion of a report presented at the 99th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in Seattle, May 16-21. Researchers found that smoking results in a greater number of deaths from COPD than deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke or lung cancer. This is true, even though the total number of deaths related to COPD worldwide ranks third among the four diseases. They also discovered that estimates of smoking-attributed disability for COPD far exceed those for stroke and coronary artery disease, and that although COPD ranks fourth in overall cost of care in the United States, it ranks second for smoking-attributable costs.

The report was based on an analysis of scientific literature conducted by Constella Health Strategies, formerly Protocare Sciences, and funded by Boehringer Ingelheim. The authors evaluated the impact of smoking on deaths, disability and health-care costs in four diseases: COPD, coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. They assessed disease impact by using a mathematical estimate of "smoking-attributable risk," which is the percentage of cases of an illness in a population that occurs directly as a result of smoking. The table below summarizes the findings of Carol A. Zaher, MD, MBA, MPH; Ronald J. Halbert, MD, MPH; Robert W. Dubois, MD, PhD; Dorothy L. George, PharmD; and Dmitry Nonikov, MD.

Condition Smoking Attributable Deaths* Smoking Attributable DALYs** Smoking Attributable Costs§ COPD 1,772,840 47,232 $27.8 B CHD 1,277,000 18,106 $24.3 B Stroke 788,580 11,052 $8.9 B Lung Cancer 822,150 NA $32.7 B * Worldwide;< ** 2020 estimates worldwide for Disability Adjusted Life Years; § U.S.; NA= not available.

Based on these findings, the burden of COPD as a smoking-related illness appears to be more substantial than current disease rankings suggest. The researchers believe that COPD deserves greater recognition and action from health-care policy makers as a smoking-related disease and that effective smoking cessation efforts could dramatically reduce the worldwide burden of disease resulting from COPD.

Constella Health Strategies is a business unit of Constella Group, a leading provider of professional health services worldwide, now celebrating 20 years of enhancing human health through innovative science, technology and knowledge solutions. Health Strategies provides evidence-based, strategic consulting to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.