Abstract
Background: COPD is characterized by persistent airflow limitation, the severity of which is assessed using FEV1, % predicted. Multiple cohort studies have demonstrated that COPD patients with similar levels of airflow limitation showed high heterogeneity in clinical manifestations and outcomes.
The aim of the study was to identify phenotypes using cluster analysis in COPD patients and to compare differences in clinical, physiological and HRQL data between the clusters.
Methods: The study was conducted in 433 patients with COPD. We evaluated the following variables in COPD patients: age, gender, body mass index (BMI), modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) scale, 6-min walking distance (6MWD), BODE, rate of exacerbations, spirometry, CCQ and SGRQ.
Results: The cohort consisted of 433 COPD patients of which 352 (81%) men and 81 (19%) women with mean age 62,7 ± 9,8 years. Cluster analysis identified 3 clusters: (1) majority were men with severe obstruction, severe symptoms, severe impairment of HRQL, low exercise tolerance, frequent exacerbations; (2) majority were women with moderate airflow limitation, moderate symptoms, moderate deterioration of HRQL, moderate limitation of exercise tolerance, frequent exacerbations; (3) men with mild airflow limitation, mild symptoms, mild deterioration in quality of life, low exercise tolerance, rare exacerbations.
Conclusions: COPD patients may be clustered into 3 clusters with different clinical, physiological and HRQL patterns, which may help in future in delivering individualized treatment. These clusters will need to be validated prospectively.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA4322.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2019