About 1 in 100 Medicare beneficiaries had a diagnosis of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in 2023, and people newly diagnosed with the lung disease used hospitals and emergency rooms at high rates, according to new research reported by AJMC. The findings will be presented at the CHEST 2026 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, held Oct. 18 to 21.
For older adults, the data highlight a condition that can hide behind familiar complaints. A cough that lingers for months, thick mucus every day, and lung infections that keep returning are sometimes written off as aging, smoking history, or repeated bronchitis. Recognizing the pattern, rather than treating each infection on its own, can lead to a diagnosis and a treatment plan that may reduce flare-ups.
