- Design
- Retrospective claims-based prevalence study
- Population
- US insured population 2018–2022, including 94,392 bronchiectasis cases (465 paediatric)
- Primary outcome
- Age- and sex-standardised five-year prevalence
- Effect
- 221.6 (220.1–223.1) per 100,000 overall; 302.3 in Asian people; 11.9 per 100,000 in children
A retrospective claims study in Chest, published on 31 October, estimated the age- and sex-standardised prevalence of bronchiectasis in the United States from 2018 to 2022, including children.
Five-year prevalence was 221.6 per 100,000 overall, rising with age (median age of cases 76). It was higher in women (275 per 100,000), Asian people (302) and those in Medicare Advantage plans (529). Only 1.4% had cystic fibrosis. In children, prevalence was 11.9 per 100,000, and most paediatric cases were also not related to cystic fibrosis.
The figures continue a rising trend and likely reflect wider CT use as well as true increase. The higher rate in Asian populations is relevant for Indian practice, where post-tuberculous bronchiectasis adds to the burden and reliable prevalence data are lacking.
For clinicians, the message is that bronchiectasis is common enough to consider in any older patient, especially a woman, with chronic productive cough or recurrent chest infections.
- Consider bronchiectasis in chronic productive cough or frequent chest infections, especially in older women.
- Request a high-resolution CT when the clinical picture fits; chest X-ray often misses it.
- Ask about previous tuberculosis, which is a common cause in India.
- Look for a cause once diagnosed: immune deficiency, ABPA, NTM and reflux among them.
Why it matters
It is far more common than many clinicians assume, and mostly outside cystic fibrosis.
Don't overread it
Claims data depend on coding; part of the rise may reflect more CT scanning rather than more disease.
The statistics, in plain English
A prevalence of 221.6 per 100,000 means about 2 in every 1000 people had a coded diagnosis over five years. The narrow interval (220.1 to 223.1) reflects the large database, not certainty that coding was accurate.
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