Epidemiologie von Lungenkrankheiten

Diseases of the respiratory system increase with advancing age and contribute substantially to worldwide morbidity and mortality. With respect to the number of deaths pulmonary diseases constitute the third most frequent cause of death following cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms. Lower respiratory tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and tuberculosis are among the top ten causes of death worldwide and asthma is globally one of the most common chronic diseases. Despite improved medical diagnostics and therapy the prevalence and morbidity have increased in recent years. Due to increased life expectation and declining morbidity the age structure of the German population will change in the coming years with the growing group of people aged 60 years or older. While diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and pneumonia predominantly affect older people, asthma and tuberculosis occur in all age groups. Worldwide, an increase in the prevalence of lung diseases is expected for the future. The healthcare costs increase disproportionally with advancing age, therefore, the demographic transition will have a decisive impact on the healthcare system.