title: Predictors of dyspnoea prevalence: results from the BOLD study.
abstract: Dyspnoea is a cardinal symptom for cardiorespiratory diseases. No study has assessed worldwide variation in dyspnoea prevalence or predictors of dyspnoea. We used cross-sectional data from population-based samples in 15 countries of the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study to estimate prevalence of dyspnoea in the full sample, as well as in an a priori defined low-risk group (few risk factors or dyspnoea-associated diseases). Dyspnoea was defined by the modified Medical Research Council questions. We used ordered logistic regression analysis to study the association of dyspnoea with site, sex, age, education, smoking habits, low/high body mass index, self-reported disease and spirometry results. Of the 9484 participants, 27% reported any dyspnoea. In the low-risk subsample (n=4329), 16% reported some dyspnoea. In multivariate analyses, all covariates were correlated to dyspnoea, but only 13% of dyspnoea variation was explained. Females reported more dyspnoea than males (odds ratio ∼2.1). When forced vital capacity fell below 60% of predicted, dyspnoea was much more likely. There was considerable geographical variation in dyspnoea, even when we adjusted for known risk factors and spirometry results. We were only able to explain 13% of dyspnoea variation.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen Dept of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen nielsenrune@me.com.
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grønseth
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, OR.
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Vollmer
authors.affiliation: Dept of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen Dept of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen.
authors.forename: Jon A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hardie
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Dept of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inga Sif
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Ólafsdóttir
authors.affiliation: Dept of Pulmonary Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lamprecht
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: A Sonia
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Buist
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gnatiuc
authors.affiliation: Dept of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen Dept of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen.
authors.forename: Amund
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulsvik
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Research, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Ane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johannessen
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D005843:Geography; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013147:Spirometry; D014797:Vital Capacity