title: Characteristics of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in the pulmonology clinics of seven Asian cities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We evaluated the characteristics of stable COPD patients in the pulmonology clinics of seven Asian cities and also evaluated whether the exposure to biomass fuels and dusty jobs were related to respiratory symptoms, airflow limitation, and quality of life in the COPD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional observational study recruited 922 COPD patients from seven cities of Asia. The patients underwent spirometry and were administered questionnaires about their exposure to cigarette smoking, biomass fuels, and dusty jobs in addition to respiratory symptoms and health related quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients, there appeared to be variations from city to city in the history of exposure to biomass fuels and dusty jobs and also in respiratory symptoms of cough, phlegm, wheeze, and dyspnea. These symptoms were more frequent in those COPD patients with a history of exposure to biomass fuels than without and those with a history of exposure to dusty jobs than without (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). Airflow limitation was more severe in those COPD patients with a history of exposure to biomass fuels than without (52.2% predicted versus 55.9% of post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV(1)], P = 0.009); quality of life was poorer in those with exposure to biomass fuels than without (40.4 versus 36.2 of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ] total score, P = 0.001). Airflow limitation was more severe in those COPD patients with a history of exposure to dusty jobs than without (51.2% predicted versus 57.3% of post-bronchodilator FEV(1), P < 0.001); quality of life was poorer in those with dusty jobs than without (41.0 versus 34.6 of SGRQ score, P = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Asian cities, the characteristics of COPD patients vary and the history of exposure to biomass fuels or dusty jobs was related to frequency of symptoms, severe airflow limitation, and poor quality of life.
authors: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Clinical Research Center for Chronic Obstructive Airway Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Yeon-Mok
authors: YM
authors: Oh
authors: Arvind B
authors: AB
authors: Bhome
authors: Watchara
authors: W
authors: Boonsawat
authors: Kirthi Dias
authors: KD
authors: Gunasekera
authors: Dushantha
authors: D
authors: Madegedara
authors: Luisito
authors: L
authors: Idolor
authors: Camilo
authors: C
authors: Roa
authors: Woo Jin
authors: WJ
authors: Kim
authors: Han-Pin
authors: HP
authors: Kuo
authors: Chun-Hua
authors: CH
authors: Wang
authors: Le Thi Tuyet
authors: le TT
authors: Lan
authors: Li-Cher
authors: LC
authors: Loh
authors: Choo-Khoon
authors: CK
authors: Ong
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Ng
authors: Masaharu
authors: M
authors: Nishimura
authors: Hironi
authors: H
authors: Makita
authors: Edwin K
authors: EK
authors: Silverman
authors: Jae Seung
authors: JS
authors: Lee
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Yang
authors: Yingxiang
authors: Y
authors: Lin
authors: Chen
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Sang-Do
authors: SD
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000403:Airway Resistance; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
keywords: Asia; COPD; biomass; dust
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