[COPD and quality of life: impact of the disease in primary care in France]

Abstract

In Europe, there are few data on the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on patients' quality of life. This study, within primary care, addressed health-related quality of life in patients according to stage of COPD severity. The objective was to estimate the impact of the COPD on the quality of life of the patients in seven European countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom) in 2430 patients among whom 573 patients were in France. This cross-sectional, epidemiological and non-randomized study was realized by using two generic quality of life questionnaires and two disease-specific ones. The results in the French subgroup showed an impact on patients' health occurring even in the mild stage of the disease. The differences between the severity stages, as appreciated by the general practitioners, are clinically significant with a strong dispersal of the scores of quality of life within every stage. The impact of COPD on patients' daily activities is a key feature of the disease and it is essential that this is evaluated systematically and recognized as a target for management as much as other manifestations of the disease.