The PLATINO Study: Contributions to COPD Knowledge
Maria Montes de Oca 1, Maria Victorina Lopez-Varela 2
1 Department of Pneumonology, Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela; 2 Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de la República, Hospital Maciel, Montevideo, Uruguay
*Correspondence: Maria Montes de Oca, Email not available
Abstract
The PLATINO study was a large survey in Latin America, originally aimed to describe the epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A baseline, cross-sectional, population-based survey was conducted in five major cities: São Paulo (Brazil), Santiago (Chile), Mexico City (Mexico), Montevideo (Uruguay), and Caracas (Venezuela). A follow-up study was completed five to nine years later in three of five original centres. This review provides information from the Spanish acronym: Latin American Project for Research in Pulmonary Obstruction (PLATINO Study) on COPD epidemiology in the region (prevalence, accurate/inaccurate diagnosis, and treatment). Available data on disease risk factors, clinical patterns, follow-up prevalence, and diagnosis stability over time, as well as mortality, are also presented.
