Quality of life in COPD patients

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) can be severely impaired in patients with COPD. They usually show an accelerated decline in lung function and progressive impairment of physical performance. AimTo study quality of life in patients with COPD and to examine its relationship with the severity of the disease. Patients and methodsQuality of life was determined in 40 COPD patients using the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD patients (SGRQ-C). ResultsMild COPD patients differed significantly from other grades of COPD in their total SGRQ-C score, symptoms score, activity score and impact score (p⩽0.001). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between spirometric data (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR, FEF25–75%) and SGRQ-C score (total score, symptoms score, activity score and impact score). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between smoking index and both symptoms score and impact score. ConclusionQuality of life is impaired in patients with COPD and it deteriorates considerably with increasing severity of disease. Increasing severity of COPD is associated with a significant increase in SGRQ-C score. A higher smoking index affects the COPD subjects’ QOL especially with patients’ symptoms and impact of disease. Psychological assessment and psychiatric consultation are important for improving COPD symptoms, QOL and for early detection and treatment of superimposed psychiatric symptoms that could worsen COPD condition and seriously affect QOL.