Pulmonary function, chronic respiratory symptoms, and health-related quality of life among adults in the United States – National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2010

Abstract

BackgroundWe examined the association of impaired lung function and respiratory symptoms with measures of health status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among US adults.MethodsThe sample included 5139 participants aged 40–79 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2010 who underwent spirometric testing and responded to questions about respiratory symptoms, health status, and number of physically unhealthy, mentally unhealthy, or activity limitation days in the prior 30 days.ResultsAmong these adults, 7.2% had restrictive impairment (FEV1/FVC ≥ 70%; FVC < 80% of predicted), 10.9% had mild obstruction (FEV1/FVC < 70%; FEV1 ≥ 80% predicted), and 9.0% had moderate–severe obstruction (FEV1/FVC < 70%; FEV1 < 80% predicted). Individuals with restrictive impairment or moderate–severe obstruction were more likely to report fair/poor health compared to those with normal lung function (prevalence ratio (PR) =1.5 [95% CI: 1.2-1.9] and 1.5 [1.3-1.8]), after controlling for sociodemographics, non-respiratory chronic diseases, body mass index, smoking, and respiratory symptoms. Frequent mental distress (FMD; ≥14 mentally unhealthy days), frequent physical distress (FPD; ≥14 physically unhealthy days), and frequent activity limitation (FAL; ≥14 activity limitation days) did not differ by lung function status. Adults who reported any respiratory symptoms (frequent cough, frequent phlegm, or past year wheeze) were more likely to report fair/poor health (PR = 1.5 [1.3-1.7]), FPD (PR = 1.6 [1.4-1.9]), FMD (PR = 1.8 [1.4-2.2]), and FAL (PR = 1.4 [1.1-1.9]) than those with no symptoms.ConclusionsThese results suggest the importance of chronic respiratory symptoms as potential risk factors for poor HRQOL and suggest improved symptom treatment and prevention efforts would likely improve HRQOL.

Scoliosis and Chest Cage Deformity Measures Predicting Impairments in Pulmonary Function

“…Likewise, in a study by Kim et al , 5 28% of patients had preoperative FVC less than 65%. [26][27][28] Progressive scoliosis until adulthood is a risk factor for impaired PF. [23][24][25] Young patients with scoliosis with FVC less than 50% have an alleviated prognosis for respiratory failure in adulthood.…”

Health-related quality of life and risk factors associated with spirometric restriction

“…In recent years multiple population-based studies have shown that a significant proportion of the general adult population has a restrictive pattern on spirometry, characterised by reduced levels of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), and normal FEV1/FVC ratio [1][2][3][4]. Although the determinants and biological bases of this restrictive pattern remain largely unknown, subjects with spirometric restriction have been shown to be more likely to have cough and phlegm, shortness of breath with wheezing and dyspnoea [3,[5][6][7], and suffer from and die of a number of comorbidities, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and diabetes [2,[8][9][10][11][12].…”

Obstructive and Restrictive Lung Function Measures and CKD: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2012

“…Similar data have been reported from other countries 3, 4 . Apart from the morbidity burden, lung diseases are also associated with poor quality of life and repeated hospitalizations and incur higher health care costs 4–8 .…”