The following is a summary of “Association between lung function and dyspnoea and its variation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study,” published in the April 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Müller et al.
Dyspnoea, a prevalent symptom of respiratory disease, remains inadequately studied in global populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to comprehensively assess dyspnoea prevalence across diverse world regions and explore its correlation with lung function impairment. The multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study evaluated 25,806 adults, utilizing the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale (≥2) to define dyspnoea and to conduct spirometric assessments for lung function.
Results indicated a wide-ranging dyspnoea prevalence (mean 13.7%, SD=8.2%), exhibiting considerable variation across study sites, from absence in Mysore (India) to a high of 28.8% in Nampicuan-Talugtug (Philippines), with no discernible geographical clustering. Dyspnoea demonstrated robust associations with both spirometric restriction (FVC<LLN: OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.75–2.45) and airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC<LLN: OR 3.76, 95% CI 1.04–4.65), findings consistently observed across diverse demographic groups, including sex, age, and smoking history.
Interestingly, obese participants exhibited a somewhat attenuated association with airflow obstruction (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.61–3.01). These results underscore dyspnoea’s multifaceted epidemiology and pivotal link to global lung function impairment. The study advocates for the nuanced use of the mMRC scale in epidemiological research better to delineate dyspnoea’s impact across diverse populations and contexts, thereby informing targeted interventions and clinical management strategies.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2531043724000448
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