10 Years After EPISCAN: A New Study on the Prevalence of COPD in Spain -A Summary of the EPISCAN II Protocol.

Introduction: The EPISCAN study, published in 2007, was an update of the results of the 1997 IBERPOC study. Changes in demographics and exposure to risk factors demand the periodic update of prevalence and determining factors in COPD. This article is a summary of the protocol and tools used in EPISCAN II.

Materials And Methods: The primary objective of EPISCAN II is to estimate the prevalence of COPD among the general population aged 40 years or more in the 17 autonomous communities of Spain. The sample size requires 600 participants (300 men and 300 women) per center, selected by screening 10,200 participants in a short visit (questionnaire plus forced post-bronchodilator spirometry). Of these, 800 (400 with COPD and 400 without COPD) will also perform a long visit (including a walking test, blood tests, determination of diffusion, pulse oximetry and bioimpedance, and low radiation CT).

Results: The first participant was recruited on 28 February 2017. As of 22 November 2017, a total of 3,581 participants had been included, of whom 422 had already performed the long visit. It is estimated that the field work will be completed by December 2018. The new imaging data, biomarkers, and information on new exposures, such as electronic cigarettes and environmental pollution, will help us re-quantify the burden of COPD.

Conclusions: EPISCAN II will provide updated information on prevalence and determinants of COPD in Spain, allowing for the comparison of spirometric results and other factors associated with COPD among the 17 autonomous communities.