Bronchiectasis Epidemiology and Risk Factors

Purpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review article was to understand the global trends in bronchiectasis, understand the risk factors and appreciate the role of comorbidities in bronchiectasis.Recent FindingsThe burden of bronchiectasis has been increasing globally over the last decade. Data from national registries suggest geographical variations in aetiology and prevalence, which has further led to the creation of national guidelines for the management of bronchiectasis. Comorbidities play an important role in the prognosis, with some playing a direct role in disease development and progression. Systemic and airway inflammation seems to be the main link between comorbidities and bronchiectasis. Various predictive scores have been developed to determine the prognosis of bronchiectasis. As there is a significant geographical variation in the aetiology, epidemiology, microbiology and severity of bronchiectasis, the appropriate prognostication score needs to be chosen and validated in the local population.The geographical variation in the aetiology, pattern and distribution of bronchiectasis alludes to the need for developing clinical guidelines for the local population. As comorbidities have shown to affect the prognosis, personalised medicine treating bronchiectasis as well as the comorbidities, seems to be the way forward.