NTM infections on the rise nationally; women and elderly most affected

Dec. 13, 2019–The number of people newly infected each year and the number of people living with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease appears to be increasing, especially among women and those 65 and older, according to new research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

In “Incidence and Prevalence of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease in a Large United States Managed Care Health Plan, 2008-2015,” Kevin L. Winthrop, MD, MPH, and colleagues report on their analysis of NTM diagnoses among approximately 27 million participants in a national health care plan (Optum) during the eight-year study period.