Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic rhinosinusitis: a longitudinal follow-up study using a national health insurance database.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine whether chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with the subsequentdevelopment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) among Korean adults.

METHODOLOGY: Using the 2002-2019 Korean National Health Insurance database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study. Individuals with COPD, definted by relevant ICD-10 codes recorded on at least two occasions together with at least two prescriptions for COPD-related medicines (n=615,706), were matched with control participants (n=2,184,000) by age, sex, income, and region of residence. The incidence of CRS with and without nasal polyps was evaluated in both COPD and control groups. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using stratified Cox proportional hazards models, and prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

The incidence rate of CRS was higher in patients with COPD than in control participants. After adjustment, the HR for CRS was significantly higher in the COPD group compared with the control group. Likewise, the HRs for CRS with nasal polyps and CRS without nasal polyps were also significantly higher in the COPD group than in the control group. Statistical significance was observed in all subgroups according to age, sex, income, and region of residence. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed a higher cumulative incidence in participants with COPD.

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationwide Korean cohort, COPD was associated with a higher incidence of CRS, both with and without nasal polyps.