Understanding Discordant Airways Obstruction in COPD Diagnosis
Author Information
Author(s): Bernd Lamprecht, Lea Schirnhofer, Bernhard Kaiser, Sonia A. Buist, David M. Mannino, Michael Studnicka
Primary Institution: Paracelsus Private Medical University of Salzburg
Hypothesis
Are discordant obstructive cases (FEV1/FVC < 0.70 but ≥LLN) a healthy population or at increased risk?
Conclusion
Discordant obstructive cases may not have clinically significant airways obstruction but are characterized by relevant comorbid diseases.
Supporting Evidence
- Discordant obstructive cases were more likely to be older and male.
- 27.2% of discordant obstructive cases had a diagnosis of heart disease.
- Only 5.6% of the study population had a physician-diagnosed COPD.
Takeaway
Some people have lung function that looks abnormal using one test but normal using another, and they might still have other health issues.
Methodology
Post-bronchodilator spirometry data from the Austrian BOLD study was analyzed.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of healthy elderly as having COPD due to fixed ratio criteria.
Limitations
Reference equations from the U.S. may not perfectly apply to the population studied.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 40 and over, with a gender distribution of 54.5% male and 45.5% female.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.015
Statistical Significance
p = 0.015
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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