title: Gender differences in the management and experience of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
abstract: Whether women receive the same medical care for COPD as men and if they are at risk of different outcomes as a result, is not known. The Confronting COPD International Survey was performed in the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK in 2000 with 3265 COPD participants. Forty-one per cent were women; mean age in women and men was 61.2 (SD 10.5) and 64.4 (11.0) years, mean pack-years of smoking 36 (29) and 46 (35) years, respectively. After adjusting for age, pack-years, country and severe dyspnea (MRC scores 5 and 4), women were less likely to have had spirometry (OR 0.84, 95% C.I. 0.72-0.98) but more likely to get smoking cessation advice (OR 1.57, 1.33-1.86). Despite significantly lower pack-years of smoking, women were more likely to report severe dyspnea than men (OR 1.30, 1.10-1.54), with similar cough (OR 1.08, 0.92-1.27) and less sputum (OR 0.84, 0.72-0.98). There were no differences in the risk of hospitalisation or emergency room visit. This study indicates that gender differences in COPD care and outcomes exist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Worldwide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Greenford, UK. louise.x.watson@gsk.com
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Jorgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vestbo
authors.forename: Dirkje S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Postma
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Decramer
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rennard
authors.forename: Victor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kiri
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Vermeire
authors.forename: Joan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Soriano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013147:Spirometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data