Impact of comorbidities on COPD-specific health-related quality of life

SummaryBackgroundComorbidities are frequent in subjects with COPD, but their contribution to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impairment is not clearly established.MethodsCross-sectional analysis of data from the French COPD cohort Initiatives BPCO. Data were recorded in stable state and included spirometry, dyspnea (modified Medical Research Council – mMRC-scale), mood disorders (hospital anxiety–depression scale) and physician-diagnosed comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, venous thromboembolism. HRQoL was assessed using the disease-specific St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Stepwise forward and backward multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the contribution of comorbidities to SGRQ scores.ResultsData are median [IQR]. 326 COPD subjects were analyzed: male 77%, age 65.0 [57.0; 72.0] years, FEV1 48.9 [34.7; 65.9]% predicted. SGRQ total score was 44.2 [30.0; 61.2]. In univariate analysis, positive correlations were found between SGRQ total scores and dyspnea and exacerbations/patient/year, whereas negative correlations were found with FEV1. SGRQ total scores were increased in women (P = 0.06), and in subjects with low BMI, anxiety or depression (each analysis, P