Opportunistic screening for COPD in primary care: a pooled analysis of 6,710 symptomatic smokers and ex-smokers

Figures & data

Figure 1 Prevalence of respiratory symptoms, ie, cough, dyspnea, phlegm, wheeze and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections (RLRTI) in participants with and without COPD, respectively.

Box 1 Medical Research Council Dyspnoea scale

Grade
1.	“I only get breathless with strenuous exercise”
2.	“I get short of breath when hurrying on the level or up a slight hill”
3.	“I walk slower than people of the same age on the level because of breathlessness or have to stop for breath when walking at my own pace on the level”
4.	“I stop for breath after walking 100 yards or after a few minutes on the level”
5.	“I am too breathless to leave the house”

Notes: 100 yards =91 m. Reproduced from: Medical Research Council. Medical Research Council Dyspnoea scale. Available from: https://mrc.ukri.org/research/facilities-and-resources-for-researchers/mrc-scales/mrc-dyspnoea-scale-mrc-breathlessness-scale/. Used with the permission of the Medical Research Council.¹²

Table 1 Basic characteristics of the screened subjects (n=6,710) divided according to COPD status

	No COPD (n=5,525)	COPD (n=1,185)	p-value
Sex
Males	51.5%	53.8%	NS
Age (years)	57.0 (11.7)	63.3 (10.6)	<0.001
BMI (kg/m^2)	27.3 (5.0)	24.8 (5.0)	<0.001
Smoking
CS	41.3%	34.7%	<0.001
Pack-years	29.4 (20.9)	38.8 (22.5)	<0.001
FEV1 (L)	2.8 (0.8)	1.9 (0.7)	-
FEV1/FVC	0.8 (0.1)	0.6 (0.1)	-
FEV1%pred	92.0 (17.0)	66.9 (18.3)	-

Notes: Data shown as mean (SD).

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CS, current smoker; NS, nonsignificant.

Table 2 Risk factors associated with new diagnosis of COPD among 6,710 symptomatic smokers and ex-smokers identified in general practice

Risk factor	OR	95% CI	p-value
Pack-years (/10)	1.06	1.03–1.09	<0.001
Symptoms
Dyspnea	1.2	1.0–1.4	0.039
Phlegm	1.3	1.1–1.6	<0.001
Wheeze	1.3	1.1–1.6	0.012
MRC score 3+	1.6	1.2–2.0	0.001
Age
40–49 years	1.6	0.9–1.8	0.120
50–59 years	2.4	1.4–4.1	0.002
60–69 years	3.5	2.0–6.0	<0.001
≥70 years	3.9	2.2–6.7	<0.001
BMI group
<25 (kg/m^2)	4.2	3.0–5.9	<0.001
>35 (kg/m^2)	1.6	1.1–2.2	0.006

Note:  MRC score 3+: an MRC score of 3–5 compared to an MRC score of 1–2.

Abbreviations: MRC, Medical Research Council dyspnea scale; BMI, body mass index.

Medical Research Council. Medical Research Council Dyspnoea scale Available from: https://mrc.ukri.org/research/facilities-and-resources-for-researchers/mrc-scales/mrc-dyspnoea-scale-mrc-breathlessness-scale/. Accessed 8 1, 2018.

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