The Body Mass Index, Airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea and Exercise Capacity (BODE) Index in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for Saudi Population

Abstract

Study objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether the BODE (body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea and exercise capacity) index correlates with frequency of exacerbation and smoking (pack/year) in patients with COPD Saudi Arabia. Methods: Forty COPD patients were recruited from King Fahad University Hospital and two sets of outcome were measured: the BODE index parameters and the correlation between BODE index with the frequency of exacerbation events as well as the number of packs of cigarettes that a patient consumes in a year. All the statistical analyses were carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 21.0. Results: There was a positive correlation found between the BODE index and exacerbation events (r=0.389, n=23, p<0.05). However, for smoking frequency, the result of the correlation analysis showed that its correlation with the BODE index was not statistically significant (r=0.021, n=23, p=0.461). Those involved in the study were 23 participants after the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, all are male with a mean age of 67.70 years. The results show that while a correlation was observed for exacerbation, the correlation with smoking frequency was not significant. The analysis also identified age as a factor that has significant correlation with the BODE index which is may be due to the lack of control and uniformity in the age range of the participants. Conclusion: This study results suggest that the BODE index could potentially be used in Saudi patients with COPD to assess disease progression. However, variable controls be emphasized and better gender representation be achieved in future study.