Increased mortality in patients with non cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis with respiratory comorbidities

There are limited data regarding whether mortality is higher in patients with non cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (bronchiectasis) than in those without bronchiectasis. Using 2005–2015 data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, we evaluated hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in the bronchiectasis cohort relative to the matched cohort. The effect of comorbidities over the study period on the relative mortality was also assessed. All-cause mortality was significantly higher in the bronchiectasis cohort than in the matched cohort (2505/100,000 vs 2142/100,000 person-years, respectively; P < 0.001). Mortality risk was 1.15-fold greater in the bronchiectasis cohort than in the matched cohort (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.22); mortality was greatest among elderly patients (HR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.10–1.25) and men (HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.10–1.29). Comorbidities over the study period significantly increased the risk of death in the bronchiectasis cohort relative to the matched cohort: asthma (adjusted HR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.11–1.30), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (adjusted HR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.15–1.34), pneumonia (adjusted HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.39–1.63), lung cancer (adjusted HR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.61–2.12), and cardiovascular disease (adjusted HR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.23–1.45). In contrast, there were no significant differences in the risk of death in patients without bronchiectasis-related comorbidities and the matched cohort, except in the case of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection. In conclusion, all-cause mortality was higher in patients with bronchiectasis cohort than those without bronchiectasis, especially in elderly patients and men. Comorbidities over the study period played a major role in increasing mortality in patients with bronchiectasis relative to those without bronchiectasis.