A comprehensive analysis of association of medical history with airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background

Multiple comorbidity is common and increases the complexity of the presentation of patients with COPD. This study was a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between a medical history of 22 disease categories and the presence of airflow limitation (AL) without any history of asthma or bronchiectasis, compatible with COPD.

Methods

A total of 11,898 Japanese patients aged ≥40 years, who underwent spirometry tests, comprising patients with AL (n=2,309) or without AL (n=9,589), were evaluated. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the relationship between the presence of AL and each disease. The model was adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and pack-years of smoking.

Results

In multivariate analysis, female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52–0.67), age (OR for 10-year age increase: 1.99; CI: 1.90–2.09), BMI (OR for 1 kg/m² increase: 0.96; CI: 0.95–0.98) and smoking history (<15 vs 15–24, 25–49 and ≥50 pack-years; OR: 1.78, 2.6 and 3.69, respectively; CI: 1.46–2.17, 2.24–3.0 and 3.15–4.33, respectively) were significantly associated with the presence of AL. In addition, a history of tuberculosis (OR: 1.72; CI: 1.39–2.11), primary lung cancer (OR: 1.50; CI: 1.28–1.77), myocardial infarction (OR: 1.22; CI: 1.01–1.48), heart failure (OR: 1.53; CI: 1.29–1.81), arrhythmia (OR: 1.19; CI: 1.03–1.38) or heart valve disorder (OR: 1.33; CI: 1.14–1.56) was significantly associated with the presence of AL, after adjustment.

Conclusion

This study suggests that a history of heart disease leading to abnormal cardiac function may be associated with AL and that the presence of certain types of heart disease provides a rationale to assess lung status and look for respiratory impairment, including COPD.

Keywords:

• airflow limitation
• COPD
• chronic heart disease
• arrhythmia
• heart valve disorder

Supplementary material

Table S1 Association between presence of AL and medical history of 22 disease categories

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Health Sciences Research Institute, Inc., Yokohama, Japan and Convergence CT Japan KK., Tokyo, Japan.

Author contributions

YT designed the study; contributed to data acquisition, analysis and interpretation and supervised the study. YN also contributed to study design and data analysis. All authors contributed to data acquisition and interpretation, critically revised the manuscript and approved the final version to be published.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.