Background: Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) represents a population with spirometry results that do not meet standardized COPD obstruction criteria, yet present with high respiratory symptom burden and might benefit from respiratory management and treatment. We aimed to determine prevalence of PRISm in US primary care patients diagnosed with COPD, describe their demographic, clinical, and CT scan characteristics., Methods: An observational registry study utilizing the US APEX COPD registry, composed of patients diagnosed with COPD aged 35+ years. Demographic and clinical data were collected from EHRs and complemented by questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess whether PRISm predicts lung function decline., Results: Prevalence of PRISm within a primary care population clinically diagnosed with COPD was 23.6% (678/2866, 95% CI 22.0-25.1). Those with PRISm were more likely female (55.9% vs 46.9%), younger (66.3±11.1 vs 69.2±10.3 years), with a greater mean BMI (33.5±9.2 vs 27.8±7.2 kg/m 2 ), more often African American or Hispanic (37.2% vs 26.3%), and with fewer current smokers (33.1% vs 36.8%) when compared to those meeting COPD spirometry criteria (all p<0.05). Compared to COPD GOLD 0 patients, individuals with PRISm had greater BMI (33.5±9.2 vs 30.6±7.8), and were more likely current smokers (33.1% vs 23.4%), both p<0.05. Patients with PRISm had similar respiratory symptoms (chronic bronchitis, CAT, and mMRC) to overall COPD patients, but more frequently than GOLD 0 COPD patients (p<0.01). Emphysema was more commonly reported in CT scans from patients with PRISm 70.3% (260/369, 95% CI 65.8-75.3) than those with GOLD 0 COPD 64.1% (218/340, 95% CI 58.8-69.2) (p<0.05). PRISm status was not predictive of lung function decline., Interpretation: One in four primary care patients with clinically diagnosed COPD in a large US registry fulfil the spirometric definition of PRISm rather than COPD, but suffers from emphysema in CT and significant respiratory symptoms., Competing Interests: Yasir Tarabichi, Chester Fox and Joan B Soriano report no conflicts of interest in this work. Wilson Pace has received funding via subcontracts with his organization from CDC, PCORI, NIH, Boehringer Ingelheim, ONC, Tabula Rasa Healthcare, and Astra-Zeneca; his organization received consulting fees for his work from Boehringer Ingelheim; he is/was on an Advisory board and Executive Committee member (unpaid) for COPD Foundation 360 Network; he owns stock through a trust in Johnson and Johnson, Eli Lily, Novo-Nordisk, Pfizer, Novartis, Moderna, and Amgen; he received grant and writing support for an unrelated project from Boehringer Ingelheim and grant from Circasso for collecting FeNO data; and was an unpaid member of the Colorado Medicaid Provider Rate Review Committee. In addition, he provided free ICS and distribution support for a large PCORI around asthma care - clinical site management for entire project for Teva. Barry Make reports funding from the NHLBI for the COPDGene study; grants and medical advisory boards from Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Regeneron, Sanofi and Sunovian; CME personal fees from WebMD, National Jewish Health, American College of Chest Physicians, American Lung Association, Projects in Knowledge, Hybrid Communications, SPIRE Learning, Ultimate Medical Academy, Catamount Medical, Eastern Pulmonary Society, Catamount Medical Communications Medscape, Eastern VA Medical Center, Academy Continued Healthcare Learning, and Mt. Sinai Medical Center; royalties from Up-To-Date, Wolters Kluwer Health; medical advisory boards from Novartis, Phillips, Third Pole, Science 24/7, and Verona; grants from Pearl, US Department of Defense; personal fees from Optimum Patient Care Global Limited, Quintiles, Web MD, outside the submitted work. He also presented at GOLD conference. MeiLan K. Han reports personal fees from GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cipla, Chiesi, Novartis, Pulmonx, Teva, Verona, Merck, Mylan, Sanofi, DevPro, Aerogen, Polarian, Regeneron, Amgen, UpToDate, Altesa Biopharma, Medscape, NACE, MDBriefcase, Integrity and Medwiz. She has received either in kind research support or funds paid to the institution from the NIH, Novartis, Sunovion, Nuvaira, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Gala Therapeutics, Biodesix, the COPD Foundation and the American Lung Association. She has participated in Data Safety Monitoring Boards for Novartis and Medtronic with funds paid to the institution. She has received stock options from Meissa Vaccines and Altesa Biopharma. Alan Kaplan reports speakers bureau or Advisory Board for AstraZeneca, ALK, Belus, Boehringer Ingelheim, Covis, Eisai, GSK, Idorsia, Merck Frosst, Moderna, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Teva, Trudel, Valeo. Ku-lang Chang declares grant funding from Abbvie, Afimmune, Akero Therapeutics, Inc. Anji Pharma, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals, Axcella Health Inc, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Company, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Esperion, Galectin Therapeutics, Gilead Sciences, Inc, Glympse Bio, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co, LTD, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inventiva Pharma, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Merck & Co., Inc, Metacrine, Inc, Moderna, New Amsterdam Pharma, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, Novo Nordisk, Romark Laboratories, Sagimet Biosciences, Sanofi Pasteur, Inc, Valneva, Viking Therapeutics, Zydus Discovery DMCC. Janwillem W. H. Kocks Janwillem Kocks reports grants, personal fees and non-financial support from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK; grants and personal fees from Chiesi, Teva; non-financial support from Mundi Pharma; personal fees from MSD, COVIS Pharma, ALK-Abello; grants from Valneva outside the submitted work; and Janwillem Kocks holds <5% shares of Lothar Medtec GmbH and 72.5% of shares in the General Practitioners Research Institute. Neil Skolnik is on advisory boards for AstraZeneca, Teva, Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Bayer, Genentech, Abbott, Novo Nordisk, Heartland, Astellas, Proteomics International, Sanofi, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Intarcia, Mylan, and GlaxoSmithKline; Payment for lectures/speaking engagements from AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim; Research Support from Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and GlaxoSmithKline. Barbara Yawn received fees for consulting and serving on COPD-related advisory boards for GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Teva; received travel support from Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca for international presentations and received COPD-related investigator-initiated research funds from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Mylan and Novartis. Alexander Evans is an employee of Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute. Victoria Carter is an employee of Optimum Patient Care Ltd. Chantal Le Lievre, Alexander Roussos, and Nicholas Bushell are employees of Optimum Patient Care, Australia. David Price has advisory board membership with AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Viatris, Teva Pharmaceuticals; consultancy agreements with AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Viatris, Teva Pharmaceuticals; grants and unrestricted funding for investigator-initiated studies (conducted through Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd) from AstraZeneca, Chiesi, Viatris, Novartis, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme, and UK National Health Service; payment for lectures/speaking engagements from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Cipla, Inside Practice, GlaxoSmithKline, Medscape, Viatris, Novartis, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi Genzyme, Teva Pharmaceuticals; payment for travel/accommodation/meeting expenses from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Medscape, Teva Pharmaceuticals.; stock/stock options from AKL Research and Development Ltd which produces phytopharmaceuticals; owns 74% of the social enterprise Optimum Patient Care Ltd (Australia and UK) and 92.61% of Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd (Singapore); 5% shareholding in Timestamp which develops adherence monitoring technology; is peer reviewer for grant committees of the UK Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme, and Health Technology Assessment; and was an expert witness for GlaxoSmithKline. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Evans et al.)