Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can together be described as obstructive lung disease. This report examines recent data on deaths and hospitalisations among people aged 55 years and over when asthma or COPD are recorded as one of multiple causes of death or hospital diagnoses. The aim is to describe the extent of obstructive lung disease among older Australians, to assess the possibility of misclassification between asthma and COPD and to investigate the association between these diseases and other conditions.

ISBN 978 1 74024 606 4; Cat. no. ACM 7; 36pp.; Internet only