[Causes of mortality in COPD].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the main causes of death in Spain and elsewhere in the world, with an estimated 18,000 and 2.75 million deaths annually. Mortality is predicted to increase in the next few years due to smoking and the aging population. Multiple studies confirm that COPD is underreported as a cause of death on death certificates, due to the difficulty of determining the final cause of death in these patients. The main causes of mortality in COPD range from lung cancer and cardiovascular disease in patients with mild COPD to respiratory failure in the most advanced stages. Fortunately, in the latest updates, guidelines for the management and treatment of the disease identify reduction of mortality as one of the main clinical objectives to be achieved in these patients.