New evidence of increased risk of rhinitis in subjects with COPD: a longitudinal population study

Figures & data

Table 1 Questionnaire items on new-onset NIR, gas, fumes, and dust, smoking, and educational status

Item	Question
New-onset NIR	During the last five years, have you ever been troubled by nasal symptoms, such as nasal obstruction, nasal secretion, and/or sneezing attacks without having a cold?
Gas, fumes, or dust	Have you been exposed to gas, fumes, or dust at work?
Smoking	Have you ever smoked daily for at least a month and, if you have stopped smoking, specify the age at which you stopped?
Current smoker	A positive answer to the first question and a negative answer to the second
Ex-smoker	A positive answer to the first question and a positive answer to the second
Education	Which courses/schools have you attended? (indicate the highest level of education). 1. Primary school. 2. Secondary school. 3. Vocational school. 4. High school. 5. University. 6. Another education
Low	Primary school
Middle	Secondary school or vocational school or high school
High	University
Other	Another education
Unknown	Unknown education

Abbreviation: NIR, noninfectious rhinitis.

Figure 1 Flow chart of the study population and the subjects excluded.

Abbreviation: NIR, noninfectious rhinitis.

Table 2 New-onset of NIR in relation to age, gender, BMI, atopy, COPD, and smoking

Variables	New-onset NIR % (n) 18.7 (677)	No NIR % (n) 81.3 (2,935)	P-value	Total % (n) 100 (3,612)
Mean age, years (SD)	51.9 (11.7)	51.8 (11.5)	0.70	51.8 (11.5)
Female	52.4 (355)	52.5 (1,540)	1	52.5 (1,895)
BMI kg/m^2 (SD)	26.1 (4.1)	25.9 (3.8)	0.52	26.0 (3.9)
Atopy	25.8 (170/660)	17.62 (507/2,877)	<0.001	19.1 (677/3,537)
COPD
All	10.8 (67/620)	7.4 (202/2,728)	0.005	8.0 (269/3,348)
≥40 years	12.1 (63/521)	8.5 (196/2,297)	0.01	9.2 (259/2,818)
Smoking			0.004
Current smoker	18.8 (127)	15.3 (448)		15.9 (575)
Ex-smoker	38.4 (260)	35.2 (1,032)		35.8 (1,292)
Never smoker	42.8 (290)	49.6 (1,455)		48.3 (1,745)

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NIR, noninfectious rhinitis; SD, standard deviation.

Figure 2 Odds ratios for new-onset NIR in relation to age, gender, BMI, COPD, smoking, and atopy.

Note: Never smoker was used as reference category among the smoking categories.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NIR, noninfectious rhinitis.

Figure 3 Age distribution when comparing the COPD group (A) and the general population (B).

Abbreviation: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.