Why the study?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease imposes a heavy disease burden on China, prompting a study to identify its prevalence in Chinese adults aged 40 years and older.
The prevalence of COPD in Chinese adults aged 40 and older is high at 12.1%, with higher rates in males, older individuals, those with low BMI, rural residents, and smokers.
High COPD burden in older Chinese adults warrants targeted screening and prevention; extends prior estimates with 2014–2024 data for policy and research planning.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) imposes a heavy disease burden on China. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of COPD in adults aged 40 years and older in China through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A web-based search of 11 databases (including PubMed and Web of Science) from January 2014 to September 2024, using specified search/MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms and keywords, was conducted. A total of 92 studies (39 320 patients) were included. The combined prevalence of COPD in Chinese adults aged 40 years and older from 2014 to 2024 was 12.1%. Subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence was higher in males 16.4% than in females 8.4%. The lowest prevalence was 4.8% in the age group of 40 to 49 years and 23.7% in the age group of over 70 years. The prevalence was highest in patients with a BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m 2 (22.4%) and decreased with increasing BMI. The prevalence was highest in Northwestern China (13.9%) and lowest in Southern China (9.2%), and was higher in rural residents (13.7%) than urban residents (11.1%). The prevalence was higher among current smokers (18.7%) and former smokers (18.7%) than among non-smokers (7.9%).
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Luo et al. (2025) studied this question.
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