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Clinical InvestigationsImpact of Dyspnea and Physiologic Function on General Health Status in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Section snippets
Studied Population
A group of 110 male patients with COPD (as defined by the American Thoracic Society11) of varying degrees of severity and with no significant comorbidity were entered into the study at three hospital outpatient clinics. Criteria for inclusion were as follows: diagnosis of symptomatic COPD; FEV1/FVC ratio less than 70 percent; and dyspnea on exertion. Criteria for exclusion included: legally blind or deaf; cancer; uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, or psychiatric illness; class 2 or greater on
RESULTS
Between December 1988 and June 1989, patients were recruited at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital (MHMH) in Hanover, NH (n = 51); VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT (n = 38); and the VA Medical Center in Manchester, NH (n = 21). The mean age was 67 ±8 yr (±SD) (range, 41 to 82 yr), mean height was 174 ±7 cm (range, 157 to 193 cm), and mean weight was 77 ±19 kg (range, 43 to 181 kg). Eighty-one percent of the subjects were ex-smokers, and 19 percent were current smokers. Medications
DISCUSSION
The results of this study in a group of patients with a wide spectrum of severity of COPD demonstrate that: (1) the clinical rating of dyspnea was significantly related to results of PFTs; (2) dyspnea and pulmonary function was significantly correlated with various components of general health status; (3) dyspnea ratings had significantly higher correlations for some components of general health status than did PFTs; and (4) the BDI dyspnea score was a strong independent predictor of five of
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Andrew Harver, Ph.D., and John H. Wasson, M.D., for their review of the manuscript and suggestions.
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Supported by a grant from the American Lung Association of New Hampshire.
Manuscript received August 19; revision accepted November 22.