Subjects with Discordant Airways Obstruction: Lost between Spirometric Definitions of COPD
Table 4
Characteristics of subjects with discordant obstructive findings and comparison to subjects with normal lung function, subjects with restrictive lung function and subjects with concordant obstructive findings. Presented obstructive cases are limited to those with mild to moderate impairment of FEV1 (FEV1 50%–100% pred.).
Discordant obstructive cases# ()
“Normal” lung function$ ()
Restrictive lung functionΨ ()
Concordant obstructive cases§ ()
-value*
-value**
-value
Characteristics
Age, mean (SE)
67 (0.99)
54.8 (0.50)
59.4 (1.16)
60.5 (0.95)
<.001
<.001
<.001
Sex, male
66 (81.5%)
230 (55.6%)
48 (58.5%)
76 (48.7%)
<.001
.002
<.001
Never smoker
33 (40.7%)
203 (49.0%)
35 (42.7%)
45 (28.9%)
.172
.802
.065
Respiratory Symptoms ϕ
Cough
14 (17.3%)
60 (14.5%)
19 (23.2%)
51 (32.7%)
.796
.291
.009
Phlegm
20 (24.7%)
88 (21.3%)
23 (28.1%)
65 (41.7%)
.893
.442
.004
Dyspnea
24 (29.6%)
62 (15.0%)
29 (35.4%)
41 (26.3%)
.085
.084
.987
Comorbidities ϕ
Asthma
7 (8.6%)
29 (7.0%)
5 (6.1%)
21 (13.5%)
.116
.172
.585
Heart disease
22 (27.2%)
30 (7.3%)
19 (23.2%)
23 (14.7%)
.015
.179
.450
Hypertension
33 (40.7%)
135 (32.6%)
29 (35.4%)
55 (35.3%)
.223
.970
.689
Diabetes
10 (12.4%)
32 (7.7%)
8 (9.8%)
10 (6.4%)
.661
.538
.343
Stroke
6 (7.4%)
6 (1.5%)
4 (4.9%)
3 (1.9%)
.228
.643
.156
Tuberculosis
2 (2.5%)
10 (2.4%)
2 (2.4%)
8 (5.1%)
.479
.929
.195
#Discordant obstructive cases: FEV1/FVC < 0.70 & ≥LLN. §Concordant obstructive cases: FEV1/FVC < 0.70 & <LLN. $Normal lung function: FEV1/FVC > 0.70 & FVC ≥ 80% pred. ΨRestrictive lung function: FEV1FVC > 0.70 & FVC < 80% pred. ϕResults adjusted for age. -value for difference between “discordant obstructive cases” and “normal lung function”. -value for difference between “discordant obstructive cases” and “restrictive lung function”. -value for differences between “discordant obstructive cases” and “concordant obstructive cases”.
