Abstract

Background: A study was undertaken of deaths with an underlying or associated cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and trends in COPD mortality from 1979 to 2002 in France were analysed.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Centre of Epidemiology on the Medical Causes of Death (CépiDc) for individuals aged 45 years and over. Owing to implementation of ICD-10 in 2000 for recording causes of death, two separate periods were analysed (1979–99 and 2000–2).

Results: In 2000–2, COPD was the underlying cause of 1.4% of deaths (deaths from COPD) and was mentioned on the death certificate in 3.0% (deaths with COPD). The other main underlying causes in these cases were cardiovascular diseases (32.0%) and cancers (24.5%). In 1979–99, age standardised rates of death with COPD remained stable in men (−0.01%/year) and increased in women (+1.7%/year). The mean annual rates of death with COPD per 100 000 were 84 for men and 19 for women in 2000–2.

Conclusion: Multiple cause analysis improved the estimate of COPD related mortality. In 1979–99, COPD related mortality rates in France were stable in men but increased in women. Implementation of ICD-10 in 2000 introduced substantial discontinuities in mortality trends.