Exacerbations and health care resource utilization in patients with airflow limitation diseases attending a primary care setting: the PUMA study

Figures & data

Table 1 Total sample distribution and prevalence of any medical visit in the past 12 months

Variables	N (%)	Doctor visit in the past 12 months (%)
Gender		P=0.006
Female	876 (50.3)	29.7
Male	867 (49.7)	23.9
Age (complete years)		P=0.030
40–49	328 (18.9)	26.3
50–59	589 (33.8)	23.3
≥60	826 (47.3)	19.5
Skin color		P=0.321
White	882 (50.9)	25.7
Non-white	851 (49.1)	27.9
Education (complete years of formal education)		P=0.0234
0–8	892 (51.2)	28.0
≥9	851 (48.8)	25.5
Pack-years smoked		P=0.075
<20	585 (34.6)	29.9
20–30	366 (21.6)	23.2
>30	740 (43.8)	26.8
mMRC dyspnea scale		P<0.001
No	860 (53.2)	19.9
1	315 (19.5)	22.5
2	204 (12.6)	34.3
3	188 (11.6)	43.1
4	49 (3.0)	61.2
Cough		P<0.001
No	1,172 (67.2)	22.3
Yes	571 (32.8)	36.1
Phlegm		P<0.001
No	1,220 (70.0)	23.5
Yes	523 (30.0)	34.4
Exposure to biomass ≥10 years		P=0.012
No	1,160 (66.6)	24.9
Yes	582 (33.4)	30.6
Exacerbation in the past year		P<0.001
No	1,619 (92.9)	22.4
Yes	123 (7.1)	84.6
Asthma (reversibility plus wheezing) and COPD (post-bronchodilator		P<0.001
FEV1/FVC <0.70)
None	118 (77.1)	21.2
Only asthma	43 (2.8)	48.8
Only COPD	274 (17.8)	37.6
Both asthma and COPD	35 (2.3)	45.7
GOLD stage		P<0.001
0	1,231 (79.9)	22.2
1	53 (3.4)	28.3
2	169 (11.0)	32.0
3–4	87 (5.7)	57.5

Abbreviations: FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC, forced vital capacity; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.

Table 2 Asthma–COPD overlap

Variables	Asthma (N=149)	COPD (N=227)	Asthma–COPD overlap (N=82)	P-value
Age, years, mean (SD)	56.3 (9.7)	67.8 (9.0)	65.0 (9.8)	<0.001
Gender, male, n (%)	43 (28.9)	134 (59.0)	39 (47.6)	<0.001
BMI, kg/m^2, mean (SD)	30.0 (5.5)	26.3 (5.8)	26.4 (6.1)	<0.001
Smoking, pack-years, mean (SD)	26.8 (21.6)	48.3 (30.2)	35.0 (27.4)	<0.001
Respiratory symptoms present, n (%)
Cough	56 (37.6)	95 (41.9)	40 (48.8)	<0.001
Phlegm	40 (26.9)	100 (44.1)	39 (47.6)	<0.001
Wheezing	40 (26.9)	48 (21.2)	26 (31.7)	<0.001
Dyspnea	83 (61.0)	126 (59.4)	56 (75.7)	<0.001
Comorbidity score, mean (SD)	1.2 (1.0)	1.2 (0.9)	1.1 (1.0)	0.013
Any exacerbation within the past year, n (%) (yes)	23 (15.4)	19 (8.4)	14 (17.1)	<0.001

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC, forced vital capacity; SD, standard deviation.

Figure 1 Prevalence of medical visits (to general practitioner/family doctor, specialist, or any physician) due to any cause or exacerbation in the last year.

Figure 2 Prevalence of medical visits (to general practitioner/family doctor, specialist, or any physician) due to any cause or exacerbation in the last year for COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC <0.70).

Abbreviations: FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC, forced vital capacity.

Figure 3 Prevalence of medical visits (to general practitioner/family doctor, specialist, or any physician) due to any cause or exacerbation in the last year for asthma using different criteria.

Abbreviation: ATS, American Thoracic Society.

Figure 4 Prevalence of medical visits (to general practitioner/family doctor, specialist, or any physician) due to any cause or exacerbation in the last year in patients with asthma–COPD overlap (post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC <0.70 plus asthma prior medical diagnosis), only COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC <0.70), only asthma (prior medical diagnosis), or without these conditions.

Abbreviations: FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC, forced vital capacity.