The burden of obstructive lung disease in the Nordic countries

Abstract

About 25 million people are living in the Nordic countries, which include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Population demography, growth and economic status of the countries as well as distribution of known risk factors for obstructive diseases are of importance for building the evidence base for a health program. Immigration, changes in lifestyle, increased mobility of the population and changes of health care services may have an effect on the frequency of the disease. However, the increase in average age, tobacco smoking and the cumulative exposure to occupational agents or indoor pollution will cause the greatest impact on the frequency of obstructive pulmonary disease. This report shows that there is a huge discrepancy in data availability and reliability and implies an urgent need to collect accurate and comprehensive vital statistics on obstructive lung diseases in the Nordic countries.