Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Related Mortality in Brazil, 2000-2019: A Multiple-Cause-of-Death Study

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a compelling cause of morbidity and mortality; however, it is underestimated and undertreated in Brazil. Using multiple causes of death data from the Information System on Mortality, we evaluated, from 2000 to 2019, national proportional mortality; trends in mortality rates stratified by age, sex, and macro-region; and causes of death and seasonal variation, considering COPD as an underlying and associated cause of death. COPD occurred in 1,132,968 deaths, corresponding to a proportional mortality of 5.0% (5.2% and 4.7% among men and women), 67.6% as the underlying, and 32.4% as an associated cause of death. The standardized mortality rate decreased by 25.8% from 2000 to 2019, and the underlying, associated, male and female, Southeast, South, and Center-West region deaths revealed decreasing standardized mortality trends. The mean age at death increased from 73.2 (+/- 12.5) to 76.0 (+/- 12.0) years of age. Respiratory diseases were the leading underlying causes, totaling 69.8%, with COPD itself reported for 67.6% of deaths, followed by circulatory diseases (15.8%) and neoplasms (6.24%). Respiratory failure, pneumonia, septicemia, and hypertensive diseases were the major associated causes of death. Significant seasonal variations, with the highest proportional COPD mortality during winter, occurred in the southeast, south, and center-west regions. This study discloses the need and value to accurately document epidemiologic trends related to COPD in Brazil, provided its burden on mortality in older age as a significant cause of death, aiming at effective planning of mortality prevention and control.

Automated summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is underestimated and undertreated in Brazil. This study analyzed multiple causes of death data from 2000 to 2019 to examine COPD mortality trends by cause, age, sex, region, and seasonality. Results showed that COPD is a significant cause of death, with higher mortality rates in winter. Overall, COPD mortality rates have decreased, but it remains a burden on mortality, especially among older adults.