Incidence of bronchiectasis concerning tuberculosis epidemiology and other ecological factors: A Korean National Cohort Study. Issue 4 (13th October 2020) - Choi, Hayoung
Understanding regional differences in the aetiology of bronchiectasis will be crucial to make a strategy to control the disease burden related to bronchiectasis. In Asia, where the prevalence of bronchiectasis is substantially higher than in Western countries [1], previous tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of bronchiectasis [2, 3]. Accordingly, the successful national TB control programme may be an effective strategy to reduce the disease burden of bronchiectasis in many Asian countries. However, to date, no data have supported this assumption. In South Korea, the incidence of TB has declined following government-led TB control programmes, which have changed the country's status from a high-TB burden nation to an intermediate-TB burden country [4]. Thus, the relationship between the incidences of TB and bronchiectasis in South Korea probably provides an answer to this research question. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether TB control was associated with a reduced incidence of bronchiectasis in South Korea, with consideration of other potential factors that can influence the incidence of bronchiectasis. In South Korea, the estimated incidences of bronchiectasis were 147–229 cases per 100000 with a decreasing trend. It may follow the concurrent decrease in the TB prevalence and incidence, and favourable personal and socioeconomic conditions. https://bit.ly/32UA8xH