• Adrián Peláez, Joan B Soriano, María Rodrigo-García, José L Peñalvo, Julio Ancochea, and Esteve Fernández.
• Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud-HM Hospitales, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: apelaez@fundacionhm.com.
• Med Clin (Barc). 2024 Oct 29.

Background And ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the global burden of respiratory morbidity and mortality. In Spain, 2020 saw a 68.5% surge in deaths from respiratory diseases compared to 2019, largely due to COVID-19. This study aims to describe respiratory disease mortality in Spain from 2019 to 2022, focusing on the intersection of COVID-19, pre-existing respiratory conditions, and specific health determinants.Materials And MethodsWe analyzed mortality data from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE), covering 102 causes of death, including tuberculosis, COVID-19, and lung cancer as respiratory-related conditions. The analysis considered absolute death counts and proportions by sex, age, and region, along with percentage changes in proportional mortality. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors potentially associated with COVID-19 and respiratory-specific mortality.ResultsIn 2022, Spain reported 98,128 deaths from respiratory diseases, accounting for 21.1% of all deaths and ranking as the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. Although deaths due to COVID-19 decreased in 2021 and 2022, there was a notable rise in other respiratory causes, indicating a lasting post-pandemic impact. Factors linked to higher mortality included male gender, older age, being divorced, and residing in urban areas, with significant regional variability.ConclusionsDespite overall mortality returning to pre-pandemic levels, this study highlights a significant increase in respiratory disease deaths in Spain in 2022 compared to 2019.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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