The influence of co-morbidity on health-related quality of life in asthma and COPD patients.
This study examines the association between somatic co-morbidity and both general and disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A cross-sectional analysis was done among 161 COPD patients and 395 asthma patients, aged 40-75 years, recruited from general practice. In the total study population, 47% had no, 32% had one, and 21% had two or more somatic co-morbid conditions, with no significant differences between asthma and COPD patients. Co-morbidity appeared to be associated with poor disease-specific HRQoL in asthma [odds ratio (OR) = 2.08 (1.37-3.18)] and with poor general HRQoL in asthma [OR = 2.96 (1.93-4.53)] and COPD [1.81 (0.91-3.60)] patients. Poorest HRQoL was found in patients with more than one co-morbid condition. Cardiac disease and hypertension were associated with poor disease-specific HRQoL in asthma. Of all co-morbid conditions, musculoskeletal disorders were most strongly associated with poor general HRQoL. Cardiac disease was found to be associated with general and disease-specific HRQoL in asthma but not in COPD. In studies on patients with asthma or COPD aged 40-75 years, co-morbidity should be treated as a determinant of HRQoL.
Department of General Practice and Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine (EMGO Institute), Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
H A H
HA
Wijnhoven
D M W
DM
Kriegsman
A E
AE
Hesselink
M
M
de Haan
F G
FG
Schellevis
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires