Global, regional, and national burden of chronic respiratory diseases and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1990-2023: a Global Burden of Disease study

Abstract

Chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumoconiosis, interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary sarcoidosis, are major global causes of mortality and morbidity. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced acute respiratory health, its impact on chronic respiratory conditions remains unclear. We estimated the global, regional and national burden of chronic respiratory diseases from 1990 to 2023, including risk factors, and evaluated how these burdens have shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. In 2023, chronic respiratory diseases accounted for 569.2 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 508.8–639.8) cases and 4.2 million (3.6–5.1) deaths. The age-standardized death rate declined by 25.7% globally from 1990 to 2023 despite an increase in ILD and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Mortality declined in younger males, especially for asthma, whereas older adults experienced a rise in ILD and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Smoking was the primary risk factor for COPD, whereas high body mass index and silica exposure were key risk factors for asthma and pneumoconiosis. During the pandemic, the incidence of chronic respiratory diseases increased modestly, but the decline in mortality rates became less pronounced, highlighting the need for sustained global attention and action to address their long-term burden.