Does the multidimensional grading system (BODE) correspond to differences in health status of patients with COPD?
OBJECTIVE
To verify whether and to what extent the body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index correlates with a disease-specific index of health status in patients with COPD.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
University-affiliated hospital.


METHODS
One hundred patients with stable COPD recruited from the outpatient clinic of a single institution.


METHODS
The BODE index was calculated for each patient using variables obtained within 2 weeks of enrollment. At enrollment, all patients completed the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare health status scores with clinical and functional categories of COPD. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) was calculated to assess the association between health status scores and clinical or functional variables.


RESULTS
Categorizing the BODE scores into 4 quartiles, we found that higher BODE quartiles were associated with higher (worse) SGRQ scores. The differences among the BODE quartiles in health status indexes were significant for total SGRQ as well as all 3 of the SGRQ subscales. In all sections of the SGRQ, scores were moderately to strongly associated with the BODE quartiles (r = 0.27-0.46). In contrast, the association between the SGRQ total, impacts, activity and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages were weaker (r = 0.27-0.28). There was no significant association between SGRQ symptoms and GOLD stages.


CONCLUSIONS
The BODE scoring system corresponds to important differences in health status of patients with COPD. This grading system is better correlated to the health status indexes of the SGRQ than the GOLD staging criteria.
Ong
Kian-Chung
KC
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. ongkianchung@yahoo.com.sg
Lu
Suat-Jin
SJ
Soh
Cindy Seok-Chin
CS
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking