Wen Geyi, Meng Jinliang, Wang Huadan, Peng Puxian, Xu Yanyan, Wang Ruiqi, Yan Zhengmao, Du Bangyan, Wen Aihan, Luo Guohong, Cui Wenlong, Tang Songyuan, Zhang Yunhui
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Medical School , Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
BMC Pulm Med. 2025 Mar 18;25(1):124. doi: 10.1186/s12890-025-03565-5.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a significant public health challenge. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of COPD across different altitudes and evaluate the potential influence of altitude on its prevalence of high-risk populations.
This cross-sectional study employed a multi-stage randomized cluster sampling method and enrolled 11,095 adult residents aged ≥ 20 years at different elevations in Yunnan Province, China. Screening questionnaires identified high-risk individuals among participants, who then underwent pulmonary function tests. COPD was diagnosed based on post-bronchodilator test results. We utilized multivariate logistic regression models to examine the association between altitudes and COPD prevalence while controlling for demographic variables, lifestyle factors, and disease characteristics.
A total of 2,252 (20.3%) were in the high-risk group. The prevalence of COPD in high-risk populations increased with age across low, intermediate, and high altitude areas. COPD patients in high-risk populations at high-altitude areas had a higher prevalence of ethnic minorities and significant biomass fuel exposure. Conversely, the proportion of COPD patients in the severe stages (GOLD III-IV) was notably lower in high-altitude regions. Logistic regression models revealed COPD prevalence in high-risk populations at high altitudes to be significantly lower than at low altitudes, with odds ratios of 0.538(95% CI: 0.343-0.844), 0.470(95% CI: 0.289-0.766), and 0.518 (95% CI: 0.316-0.848) for Models 1, 2, and 3, respectively (all P < 0.05).
The prevalence of COPD in high-risk populations is the lowest in the high-altitude regions of Yunnan Province, and high altitude is an independent factor negatively associated with COPD.
慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）是一项重大的公共卫生挑战。本研究旨在调查不同海拔地区COPD的流行病学特征，并评估海拔对其高危人群患病率的潜在影响。
本横断面研究采用多阶段随机整群抽样方法，纳入了中国云南省不同海拔地区11095名年龄≥20岁的成年居民。通过筛查问卷在参与者中识别高危个体，随后对其进行肺功能测试。根据支气管扩张试验结果诊断COPD。我们使用多变量逻辑回归模型，在控制人口统计学变量、生活方式因素和疾病特征的同时，研究海拔与COPD患病率之间的关联。
共有2252人（20.3%）属于高危组。在低、中、高海拔地区，高危人群中COPD的患病率均随年龄增加而升高。高海拔地区高危人群中的COPD患者少数民族患病率较高，且有显著的生物质燃料暴露史。相反，高海拔地区重度（GOLD III-IV）COPD患者的比例明显较低。逻辑回归模型显示，高海拔地区高危人群中COPD的患病率显著低于低海拔地区，模型1、2和3的比值比分别为0.538（95%CI：0.343-0.844）、0.470（95%CI：0.289-0.766）和0.518（95%CI：0.316-0.848）（所有P<0.05）。
云南省高海拔地区高危人群中COPD的患病率最低，海拔是与COPD呈负相关的独立因素。
