Who gets pneumonia?
Anyone can get pneumonia, but it is most common in people whose host
defenses are compromised in some way. Poverty and malnutrition are
important factors predisposing to pneumonia. In poorer regions of the
world, children are hit especially hard. Approximately half the lung
infection deaths worldwide are in children under age five. Host defenses
are also compromised with advancing age. In wealthier communities, where people tend to live longer, pneumonia is an especially
prominent problem for older people. Other factors increasing the risk of
pneumonia include cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, and obesity.
Hospitalization is another important risk factor for pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lung infections are the
leading burden of disease worldwide, causing the loss of more
disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) than other diseases well-recognized
for their serious nature (such as cancers, heart attacks, or strokes). Lung
infections cause more deaths and the loss of more DALYs than any other
infections (such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis) in both the
wealthiest and the poorest countries of the world.
