Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40361074›Full record

ArticleBMC pulmonary medicine2025

Prevalence and burden of chronic cough in China: results from a population-based survey.

Kefang Lai, Vicky W Li, Lin Chen, Kai Xia, Ashley Martin, Nate A Way, Helen Ding, Eileen Fonseca

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pulmonary medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. From Psychogenic Cough to Somatic Cough Syndrome.The clinical respiratory journal · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kefang LaiNational Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Vicky W LiOracle Life Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.
Lin ChenGlobal Medical Affairs, MRL, MSD China, Shanghai, China.
Kai XiaGlobal Medical Affairs, MRL, MSD China, Shanghai, China.
Ashley MartinOracle Life Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.
Nate A WayOracle Life Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.
Helen DingMerck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA. helen.ding@merck.com.
Eileen FonsecaMerck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic cough is associated with reduced mental and physical health and increased health care resource use. The lack of nationwide data on chronic cough hinders our understanding of the prevalence, demographics, and impacts of chronic cough in China. The aim of this study was to estimate the lifetime and annual prevalence of chronic cough in mainland China and to describe the sociodemographic and health-related characteristics of adults with chronic cough.

methodsThis was a cross-sectional study using self-reported information from a nationally representative sample of 20,051 adults. Respondents with chronic cough (daily cough for ≥ 8 weeks) during the prior 12 months were matched to respondents without chronic cough.

resultsWe estimated a lifetime prevalence of 7.0% and an annual prevalence of 4.1% for chronic cough among adult residents of mainland China. Affected individuals had a mean age of 43.5 years, and there were no significant differences in prevalence between men and women. Compared to matched controls, the chronic cough group had more comorbidities and included a higher proportion of individuals who had been diagnosed with respiratory and sleep-related conditions. Chronic cough was also associated with significantly worse depression and anxiety symptom severity and health-related quality of life, as well as increased impairment of work and other daily activities and higher rates of all-cause health care resource use.

conclusionsChinese adults with chronic cough show a middle age, equal gender distribution. Chronic cough affects an estimated 46.4 million adults in mainland China during their lifetime and is associated with significant individual and health care system burden. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Chronic cough affects approximately 4.1% (27.2 million) of adults per year in mainland China and is associated with worse health and health-related quality of life, impairment of work productivity and other daily activities, and increased all-cause health care resource use.

Indexed as

Cost of IllnessCoughAdolescentAdultAgedAnxietyChinaChronic CoughChronic DiseaseComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedChinaChronic coughCoughHealth surveysQuality of lifeSickness impact profile

Identifiers

PMID40361074
PMCPMC12076820

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.