Article

Disease severity and symptoms among patients receiving monotherapy for COPD.

UAB Lung Health Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Primary care respiratory journal: journal of the General Practice Airways Group 09/2010; 20(1):46-53. DOI:10.4104/pcrj.2010.00059 pp.46-53
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT To examine the burden of respiratory symptoms, quality of life and co-morbid illness in COPD patients receiving maintenance treatment in a real world setting.
In a single visit, patients with a physician's diagnosis of COPD who were receiving monotherapy with a long-acting bronchodilator (LABD) performed spirometry, completed symptom questionnaires, and reported their treatments, history of exacerbations and co-morbidities.
We enrolled 1084 patients of whom 1072 had acceptable spirometry. 689 (64%) had airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC≤0.70) while 383 (36%) failed to meet spirometric criteria for COPD despite receiving maintenance therapy and having comparable symptoms and comorbid illness. Among those with confirmed COPD, dyspnoea was worse in those with more severe airflow limitation though exacerbation frequency was comparable across COPD stages.
COPD is commonly diagnosed and treated in patients without airflow obstruction. Many COPD patients receiving LABD monotherapy continue to suffer significant symptoms, exacerbations and poor quality of life.

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Keywords

co-morbid illness
 
co-morbidities
 
COPD
 
COPD patients
 
COPD stages
 
exacerbation frequency
 
exacerbations
 
LABD monotherapy
 
long-acting bronchodilator
 
maintenance treatment
 
monotherapy
 
physician's diagnosis
 
respiratory symptoms
 
severe airflow limitation
 
significant symptoms
 
single visit
 
spirometric criteria
 
spirometry
 
symptom questionnaires