Overlap Syndrome of Asthma and COPD Predicts Low Quality of Life

Abstract

Background. In clinical practice, patients whose airway disease shares features of both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remain poorly recognized. Material and methods. The study population consisted of 1546 patients with a diagnosis of asthma or COPD or both. Based on patient-reported outcomes and retrospective medical record data, the study population was divided into three groups: () asthma only, () COPD only, and () both asthma and COPD (overlap syndrome group). We evaluated patient characteristics associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results. In many respects, the overlap group fell between the asthma and COPD groups. In the overlap group, however, HRQoL was the poorest of all. In the logistic regression model, with the asthma group as the reference, both the overlap and the COPD group showed higher risk for low HRQoL [odd ratio (OR): 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–3.2; and OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0–3.2; respectively]. In addition, female gender, obesity, duration of disease, disability pension, and coexisting cardiovascular disease were associated with low HRQoL across the study population. Conclusions. Patients with overlapping asthma and COPD differed from those patients with asthma or COPD only. Overlap syndrome was associated with low HRQoL.

• asthma
• COPD
• quality of life

Acknowledgements

The authors thank clinical research nurses Kerstin Ahlskog, Kirsi Sariola, and Päivi Laakso for their skillful patient recruitment; Tuula Lahtinen for monitoring the project; Siiri and Nelli Carlsson as well as Piritta Rantanen for the data analysis; and the former personnel of Geneos Ltd. for planning and implementing patient recruitment. This study was supported by the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS EVO), the University of Helsinki, the Foundation of the Finnish Anti-Tuberculosis Association, the Finnish Allergy Programme of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Finnish Allergy Foundation, and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.