title: Dyspnoea as a predictor of cause-specific heart/lung disease mortality in Bangladesh: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: The spectrum of mortality outcomes by cause in populations with/without dyspnoea has not been determined. The study aimed to evaluate whether dyspnoea, a symptom, predicts cause-specific mortality differences between groups. The hypothesis was that diseases that result in chronic dyspnoea, those originating from the heart and lungs, would preferentially result in heart and lung disease mortality in those with baseline dyspnoea (relative to no dyspnoea) when followed over time.
  
  
  
  A population-based sample of 11 533 Bangladeshis was recruited and followed for 11-12 years and cause-specific mortality evaluated in those with and without baseline dyspnoea. Dyspnoea was ascertained by trained physicians. The cause of death was determined by verbal autopsy. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, the Fine-Gray competing risk hazards model and logistic regression models were used to determine group differences in cause-specific mortality.
  
  
  
  Compared to those not reporting dyspnoea at baseline, the adjusted HRs were 6.4 (3.8 to 10.7), 9.3 (3.9 to 22.3), 1.8 (1.2 to 2.8), 2.2 (1.0 to 5.1) and 2.8 (1.3 to 6.2) for greater risk of dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, heart disease, tuberculosis and lung cancer, respectively. In contrast, there was a similar risk of dying from stroke, cancer (excluding lung), liver disease, accidents and other (miscellaneous causes) between the dyspnoeic and non-dyspnoeic groups. In addition, the HR was 2.1 (1.7 to 2.5) for greater all-cause mortality in those with baseline dyspnoea versus no dyspnoea.
  
  
  
  Dyspnoea, ascertained by a single question with binary response, predicts heart and lung disease mortality. Individuals reporting dyspnoea were twofold to ninefold more likely to die of diseases that involve the heart and/or lungs relative to the non-dyspnoeic individuals. Therefore, in those with chronic dyspnoea, workup to look for the five common dyspnoeic diseases resulting in increased mortality (COPD, asthma, heart disease, tuberculosis and lung cancer), all treatable, should reduce mortality and improve the public health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA Section of Pulmonary/Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Harlem Hospital affiliated with Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Gene R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pesola
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argos
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Vernon M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Chinchilli
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Faruque
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parvez
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Research (URB), Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Tariqul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Research (URB), Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Alauddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Research (URB), Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Rabiul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Research (URB), Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rakibuz-Zaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA Department of Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA University of Chicago Research (URB), Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Habibul
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahsan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D004417:Dyspnea; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: AVOIDABLE DEATHS; Cardiovascular disease; Clinical epidemiology; Epidemiology of chronic diseases; LONGITUDINAL STUDIES