Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms caused by abnormalities of the airways and alveoli that result in persistent, often progressive, airflow obstruction. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals recently commissioned Milliman to characterize the diagnosed population with COPD, their COPD-related acute hospital-based utilization, and all-cause mortality among the U.S. insured population by insurance type and state. The resulting research paper, published in the Journal of the COPD Foundation, covers the following:

• Methods for study design, insured sample populations, and population demographics
• Results: Prevalence and demographic characteristics, and COPD-related acute inpatient hospitalizations
• Further discussion

This study was commissioned by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and can be accessed at the COPD Foundation website.