title: Effect of exacerbations on health status in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute exacerbations may cause deteriorations in the health status of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study prospectively evaluated the effects of such exacerbations on the health status and pulmonary function of subjects with COPD over a 6-month period, and examined whether those subjects showed a steeper decline in their health status versus those subjects without exacerbations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 156 subjects with COPD (mean age 71.4 +/- 6.3 years) were included in the analysis. At baseline and after 6 months, their pulmonary function and health status were evaluated using the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ) and the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). An acute exacerbation was defined as a worsening of respiratory symptoms requiring the administration of systemic corticosteroids or antibiotics, or both.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight subjects experienced one or more exacerbations during the 6-month study period, and showed a statistically and clinically significant decline in Symptom scores on the SGRQ, whereas subjects without exacerbations did not show a clinically significant decline. Logistic multiple regression analyses confirmed that the exacerbations significantly influenced the Fatigue and Mastery domains of the CRQ, and the Symptoms in the SGRQ. Twelve subjects with frequent exacerbations demonstrated a more apparent decline in health status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although pulmonary function did not significantly decline during the 6-month period, acute exacerbations were responsible for a decline in health status. To minimize deteriorations in health status, one must prevent recurrent acute exacerbations and reduce the exacerbation frequencies in COPD subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Murakami Memorial Hospital, Asahi University, Gifu, Japan. koichi-nishimura@nifty.com
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukino
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hajiro
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oga
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires