Screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in asymptomatic adults has no net benefit, according to a U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) reassessment of its 2016 screening recommendations. The new recommendation is in line with the previous one and is made with moderate certainty (grade D evidence).
The USPSTF recommendation applies to adults who do not recognize or report respiratory symptoms. It does not apply to people with symptoms such as chronic cough, sputum production, difficulty breathing, or wheezing, or those known to be at very high risk for COPD. These latter include people with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency or workers exposed to certain toxins at their jobs, according to the report published in JAMA.
“Considering that the outcomes of several other chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, have been improved over the years with early detection and intervention, it is logical to ask whether screening to achieve early detection of COPD might also lead to better outcomes,” Surya P. Bhatt, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and George T. O’Connor, MD, of the Boston University, explained in an editorial.
Task Force Assessment
The task force examined relevant publications after the 2016 deliberations and found no new studies that directly assessed the effects of screening for COPD in asymptomatic adults on morbidity, mortality, or health-related quality of life.
