title: Patients' self-reports of dyspnea: An important and independent outcome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: Patients'' self-reports of dyspnea are an important clinical outcome in evaluating treatments in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study evaluated the dimensions underlying self-reported dyspnea ratings, lung function, and respiratory muscle pressures in 143 patients with COPD. The validity of dyspnea ratings and lung function parameters to predict the variance of a common functional measure, the six-minute walk test, was also assessed. Results of a factor analysis confirmed previous work demonstrating the independence of dyspnea ratings from pulmonary function parameters. Dyspnea ratings also explained a greater proportion of the variance in the six-minute walk test than did lung function. Results of this study provide further evidence for the importance and independence of self-reported dyspnea ratings in evaluating outcomes in COPD.
authors.affiliation: Oregon Research Institute, USA.
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Eakin
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ries
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sassi-Dambron