Key recommendations for primary care from the 2026 GOLD update

Abstract

The Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has produced yearly recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with COPD since 2001. Here, we summarize the key recommendations of the GOLD 2026 document for a primary care audience, highlighting what has changed and what has not since the last document in 2025. Specifically, this document discusses changes (if any) in the following domains: (1) definition of COPD; (2) burden of disease; (3) causes and risk factors; (4) clinical presentation; (5) diagnosis; (6) initial assessment and follow-up, including the new concepts of disease activity, stability and clinical control; (7) prevention, with particular emphasis on vaccinations; (8) pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment; (9) exacerbation; (10) Multimorbidity and its syndemic origins; and, finally (11) artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in COPD.