Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2005 Sep 9:3:56.
doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-3-56.

Health-related quality of life is related to COPD disease severity

Elisabeth Ståhl  1 , Anne Lindberg, Sven-Arne Jansson, Eva Rönmark, Klas Svensson, Fredrik Andersson, Claes-Göran Löfdahl, Bo Lundbäck
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Health-related quality of life is related to COPD disease severity

Elisabeth Ståhl et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes. .

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between health-related quality of life (HRQL) and disease severity using lung function measures.

Methods: A survey was performed in subjects with COPD in Sweden. 168 subjects (70 women, mean age 64.3 years) completed the generic HRQL questionnaire, the Short Form 36 (SF-36), the disease-specific HRQL questionnaire; the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the utility measure, the EQ-5D. The subjects were divided into four severity groups according to FEV1 per cent of predicted normal using two clinical guidelines: GOLD and BTS. Age, gender, smoking status and socio-economic group were regarded as confounders.

Results: The COPD severity grades affected the SGRQ Total scores, varying from 25 to 53 (GOLD p = 0.0005) and from 25 to 45 (BTS p = 0.0023). The scores for SF-36 Physical were significantly associated with COPD severity (GOLD p = 0.0059, BTS p = 0.032). No significant association were noticed for the SF-36, Mental Component Summary scores and COPD severity. Scores for EQ-5D VAS varied from 73 to 37 (GOLD I-IV p = 0.0001) and from 73 to 50 (BTS 0-III p = 0.0007). The SGRQ Total score was significant between age groups (p = 0.0047). No significant differences in HRQL with regard to gender, smoking status or socio-economic group were noticed.

Conclusion: The results show that HRQL in COPD deteriorates with disease severity and with age. These data show a relationship between HRQL and disease severity obtained by lung function.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SGRQ, Total score (adjusted mean values) in GOLD and BTS stages. p-values by test for trend.
Figure 2
Figure 2
SGRQ, Total score (mean values) in the six age groups. p-values by test for trend.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Vollmer WM, Osborne ML, Buist AS. 20-year trends in the prevalence of asthma and chronic airflow obstruction in an HMO. American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine. 1998;157:1079–1084. - PubMed
    1. Pauwels RA, Buist AS, Calverley PMA, Jenkins CR, Hurd SS. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: NHLBI and WHO Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD): executive summary. Respiratory Care. 2001;46:798–825. - PubMed
    1. BTS BTS guidelines for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The COPD Guidelines Group of the Standards of Care Committee of the BTS. Thorax. 1997;52:S1–28. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ray D, Abel R, Selvaraj KG. A 5-yr prospective epidemiological study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in rural south India. Indian Journal of Medical Research. 1995;101:238–244. - PubMed
    1. Renwick DS, Connolly MJ. Prevalence and treatment of chronic airways obstruction in adults over the age of 45. Thorax. 1996;51:164–168. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types