Daily Impact of COPD in Younger and Older Adults: Global Online Survey Results from over 1,300 Patients

Abstract

The daily impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on younger patients is often underappreciated. To assess this, we investigated the disease burden experienced by younger and older patients. A panel of questions was developed in conjunction with the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations and Boehringer Ingelheim. The online survey was conducted by Instar Research. Data were collected from eight countries in Europe, plus China, Japan and the United States. All patients were receiving COPD maintenance therapy. Patients were stratified by age (45–54, 55–64, ≥65 years). Data were analyzed from 1,375 patients from Europe (925), China (150), Japan (100) and the US (200); 365 were aged 45–54, 440 aged 55–64, and 570 aged ≥65 years. Mean age was 61.8 years; 771 (56%) were male. A significantly higher proportion of patients aged 45–54 years reported “poor” or “very poor” wellbeing (35% vs. 28%; p < 0.05) and “high impact” on 8 of the 11 daily activities and requirements for adjusting activities assessed (all p < 0.05), compared with patients aged ≥65 years. Significantly more patients aged 45–54 versus ≥65 years associated their COPD with feeling “anxious”, “stressed”, “sad”, or “overwhelmed” (all p < 0.05). Younger patients with COPD reported a higher impact on their daily activities, wellbeing and requirement for adjusting their activities due to their symptoms than older patients. Our findings highlight the importance of optimizing treatment for younger patients with COPD and suggest that clinicians should not overlook the burden of disease in these patients.