The Relationship between Experienced Respiratory Symptoms and Health-Related Quality of Life in the Elderly with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Background. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the diseases that usually present at an advanced age. Respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD are the most important for making treatment decisions and understanding the adverse effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to investigate HRQoL in elderly patients with COPD and examine the relationship between this in relation to respiratory symptoms experienced by them and their demographic characteristics. Methods. This is a descriptive, correlational study of elderly patients with COPD who were hospitalized in five different hospitals in an urban area of Iran. A consecutive sampling method was used. Demographic data form, the respiratory symptoms component of St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) were applied for data collection. Results. The patients (n = 217) reported low HRQoL, and this impairment was more observed in the physical component. There was a significant inverse relationship between the experienced respiratory symptoms and physical ( p = 0.03 ) and mental ( p < 0.001 ) components of HRQoL. Moreover, the female gender, the low level of education, the increased duration of the disease, the increased number of hospitalizations during the past year, and the use of two classes of drugs simultaneously were associated with the impaired HRQoL. Conclusion. Our findings inform healthcare providers about the negative impacts of respiratory symptoms and other related factors on the HRQoL of elderly patients with COPD. Nurses and other healthcare providers should proactively identify respiratory symptoms and design appropriate caring strategies to improve HRQoL among this group.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory failure

“…Benzodiazepines are considered third-line (after opioids and oxygen), primarily useful for dyspnea-related anxiety, and carry significant risks for elderly patients. 15 ICS/LABA is recommended as the first-line treatment choice in patients with asthma-COPD overlap. Adverse effects, including candidiasis, cataract, glaucoma, diabetes, bone fracture, and pneumonia, have been associated with high-dose ICS and have raised concerns, particularly in elderly patients.…”

Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: Treatment Guidelines and Recommendations for Referral and Multidisciplinary Continuity of Care

“…Despite being both preventable and treatable [1], COPD poses a substantial health, economic, and social burden, emerging as a major public health problem [1,2]. Patients afflicted with this pathology experience a reduced quality of life due to chronic respiratory symptoms, physical limitations, and psychological distress [3] that can lead to disability, early retirement, productivity loss, healthcare costs, and caregiver burden [4]. In 2019, it accounted for 212.3 million prevalent cases, 3.3 million deaths worldwide, and 74.4 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), making it the third most common contributor to global mortality [2].…”