[Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease--secondary publication].

We investigated the prevalence of chronic obsctuctive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the proportion of affected patients receiving medical treatment. A total of 155 general practitioners examined 4,757 persons aged 45-84 years. All had a spirometry performed. Obstruction was defined as a forced expired volume in the first second (FEV 1 )/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio < 0.70 after bronchodilation, and severity was defined according to Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines. The determined prevalence was 12%. Standardized to the Danish population the true prevalence of COPD was 9% (95% confidence interval, 8-10%). The majority had mild or moderate COPD. Among persons with severe COPD, 42% did not receive medical treatment.