Background: The effect of occupational risk factors on the clinical features of COPD is still unclear, and the purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of occupational exposure on the clinical features of COPD.
Methods: A total of 908 patients from Grade-A hospitals were analyzed as study subjects, and self-reported occupational exposure was recorded.
Results:A total of 258 COPD patients (28.4%) were exposed to VGDF. Several characteristics were significantly associated with VGDF exposure: respiratory symptoms such as cough and sputum, airflow limitation, and mMRC score of 2-4 (41.1%vs32.3%, P<0.05); CAT score (17.45±1.683 vs 16.61±2.402, P<0.001). As COPD patients' exposure to occupational factors increased, so did the incidence of respiratory symptoms (P< 0.05).
Conclusions: In this series of COPD patients, subjects exposed to VDGF had more severe clinical symptoms, including respiratory symptoms, severity of airflow restriction, and CAT score. In occupational risk factor exposure, exposure level is the main influencing factor.