American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
5 years ago

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Hispanics: A 9-Year Update.

Celedón JC, Celli B, Díaz A
Hispanics are the largest minority in the U.S., now encompassing 56.6 million people. A Hispanic or Latino is an individual whose ancestry can be traced to Spain or territories previously under Spanish control. The Hispanic population in the U.S. and Latin America is very diverse for country of origin, nativity, and racial ancestry. Over the last nine years, our knowledge of COPD in Hispanics has improved, due to a better understanding of differences in COPD burden and risk factors across Hispanic subgroups, development of subgroup-specific spirometry reference equations, genetic studies, and better knowledge of barriers and needs in the diagnosis and management of COPD in the Hispanic population. Despite this progress, much remains to be done. The ongoing HCHS/SOL study, combined with future observational studies and clinical trials including sufficient numbers of well-characterized Hispanic subjects, are needed to draw firm conclusions about the etiology and management of COPD in Hispanic subgroups. Such Hispanic-focused studies should improve our understanding of the "omics" of COPD, the impact of variables correlated with racial ancestry on COPD and lung function (e.g., are spirometry reference equations that account for racial ancestry proportions superior to those developed for self-reported members of Hispanic subgroups?), the burden of ACOS, the use of non-tobacco products, and effective smoking cessation interventions in this ethnic group. Increasing health insurance coverage, together with culturally sensitive policies to address healthcare barriers (i.e. language proficiency, low health literacy, non-adherence to therapy, and patient beliefs), should help improve the care of Hispanic patients with COPD.

Publisher URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28862879

DOI: PubMed:28862879

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