• Elisabeth Ståhl, Anne Lindberg, Sven-Arne Jansson, Eva Rönmark, Klas Svensson, Fredrik Andersson, Claes-Göran Löfdahl, and Bo Lundbäck.
• Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. elisabeth.stahl@astrazeneca.com
• Health Qual Life Out. 2005 Jan 1;3:56.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between health-related quality of life (HRQL) and disease severity using lung function measures.MethodsA survey was performed in subjects with COPD in Sweden. 168 subjects (70 women, mean age 64.3 years) completed the generic HRQL questionnaire, the Short Form 36 (SF-36), the disease-specific HRQL questionnaire; the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the utility measure, the EQ-5D. The subjects were divided into four severity groups according to FEV1 per cent of predicted normal using two clinical guidelines: GOLD and BTS. Age, gender, smoking status and socio-economic group were regarded as confounders.ResultsThe COPD severity grades affected the SGRQ Total scores, varying from 25 to 53 (GOLD p = 0.0005) and from 25 to 45 (BTS p = 0.0023). The scores for SF-36 Physical were significantly associated with COPD severity (GOLD p = 0.0059, BTS p = 0.032). No significant association were noticed for the SF-36, Mental Component Summary scores and COPD severity. Scores for EQ-5D VAS varied from 73 to 37 (GOLD I-IV p = 0.0001) and from 73 to 50 (BTS 0-III p = 0.0007). The SGRQ Total score was significant between age groups (p = 0.0047). No significant differences in HRQL with regard to gender, smoking status or socio-economic group were noticed.ConclusionThe results show that HRQL in COPD deteriorates with disease severity and with age. These data show a relationship between HRQL and disease severity obtained by lung function.

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