Abstract
Introduction: The management of chronic diseases such as COPD is complicated by the presence of comorbidities. Comorbidities in patients with COPD impair quality of life, contribute to hospitalizations and mortality. The knowledge on the prevalence and type of comorbidities in patients with COPD is still limited. The objective of this cross-sectional analysis was to evaluate the prevalence of comorbid conditions in The Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Outcomes Cohort of Switzerland (TOPDOCS). Methods: In 203 patients with COPD (67% men; mean (SD) age: 63 (7) years; FEV1: 46 (21) % predicted) comorbidities were assessed by medical history, clinical interview, clinical examination and blood analysis. Results: 72% of the COPD patients had at least one additional chronic comorbidity, 42% had 2 or more comorbidities and 21% had 3 or more comorbidities. The prevalence of comorbidities among patients with COPD was: arterial hypertension (43%), obesity (21%), coronary artery disease (19%), peripheral artery disease (12%), diabetes (11%), osteoporosis (11%), depression (8%) and cerebrovascular accident (4%). Polypharmacy, defined as ≥4 prescribed medications, was observed in 64% of patients with a median (quartiles) number of prescribed drugs of 6 (5,8). Conclusions: The majority of patients with COPD in this Swiss cohort had at least one comorbid condition and the prevalence of multi-morbidity was high. Thus future COPD trials evaluating therapeutic effects need to include typical COPD patients with comorbidities and practice guidelines need to address COPD in the context of comorbidity.
- © 2013 ERS