OBJECTIVES: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is among the leading causes of mortality in China. The study aims to assess COPD disease burden against hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol in China.

METHODS: This study used existing data from the Internet-based 2020 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) conducted among respondents aged ≥18 years in China (n=20,051). Comparative analyses of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) were conducted among patients with self-reported COPD against patients with self-reported hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol using 1:1 propensity-score matching.

RESULTS: Patients with COPD had lower HRQoL (mental component summary [MCS], physical component summary [PCS] and EuroQol-5-dimension index [EQ-5D] decreased by 4.95%, 2.98%, and 2.15%, respectively) and higher WPAI (27.71%-30.59% increase in absenteeism, overall work impairment, and activity impairment) than hypertension patients. Compared to diabetic patients, COPD patients had 4.57% reduction in MCS, and higher HRU (47.80% increased hospitalizations). Additionally, COPD patients experienced lower HRQoL (4.29% decrease in MCS, 3.68% decrease in PCS, 2.17% decrease in EQ-5D), and greater WPAI (41.80%-106.43% increase in absenteeism, presenteeism, overall work impairment, and activity impairment) than patients with high cholesterol. Disease burden of milder forms of COPD (Groups A, B and C classified by the Global Initiative of COPD [GOLD] strategy) was comparable to patients with hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD had greater disease burden than patients with hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol. The disease burden of COPD is closely related to its severity suggesting a need for COPD early detection and intervention to reduce COPD-related disease burden.