Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and management strategies of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in high-altitude areas.Methods:An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 79 stable COPD patients who visited the outpatient of Respiratory Medicine at Tibet Autonomous Region People′s Hospital and Peking University Third Hospital from August 3 rd 2020 to November 30 th 2020. Patients were divided into Lhasa group ( n=44) and Beijing group ( n=35). The differences of clinical characteristics including demographic characteristics, risk factors, respiratory symptoms, comorbidities, medications and spirometry were analyzed. Further comparative analysis was conducted on the clinical characteristics of smokers ( n=15) and non-smokers ( n=29) in Lhasa group. Results:The proportion of female patients and biofuel exposure in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (56.8% vs 0, 86.4% vs 0, both P<0.001). The proportion of smokers in Lhasa group was significantly lower than Beijing group (34.1% vs 100%, P<0.001). The mean score of COPD assessment test (CAT) in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (21.27 vs 9.17, P<0.001). The proportion of acute exacerbations ≥2 in the past year in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (31.8% vs 11.4%, P=0.032). The median percentage of forced vital capacity in the first second of predicted value (FEV 1%pred) of patients in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (63% vs 38%, P<0.001). The proportion of patients treated by inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β 2-agonist (ICS/LABA) and inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) in Lhasa group was significantly lower than Beijing group (4.5% vs 60.0%, 0 vs 65.7%, both P<0.001). There were no significant differences in CAT score, number of acute exacerbations in the past year and lung function between smokers and non-smokers in Lhasa group. Conclusions:Compared with those patients in Beijing, the majority of patients with COPD living in Lhasa are female, with a low proportion of smokers and a high proportion of biofuel exposure. Although their lung function is better, their respiratory symptoms are more severe with more acute exacerbations in the past year, and most patients do not receive standardized medication.

Altitude ; China/epidemiology* ; Community-Acquired Infections/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Pneumonia/etiology* ; Tibet