Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Population Studies in Russia and Norway: Comparison of Prevalence, Awareness and Management.

The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was strikingly high among Russian participants but this was not explained by a higher burden of obstructive lung function on spirometry testing in comparison with Norwegian participants. Further work is needed to understand the reasons and health implications of this high prevalence of cough and breathlessness.