Table 3.
Comparison of the characteristics of diagnosed and undiagnosed clinically significant COPD in England
| Undiagnosed | Diagnosed | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 840 | 131 |
| Age (years) | ||
| 30–39 | 13 (1.6%) | 0 |
| 40–49 | 70 (8.3%) | 8 (6.1%) |
| 50–59 | 137 (16.3%) | 19 (14.5%) |
| 60–69 | 257 (30.6%) | 41 (31.3%) |
| 70–79 | 266 (31.7%) | 53 (40.5%) |
| ≥80 | 97 (11.6%) | 10 (7.6%) (p=0.2) |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 490 (58.3%) | 84 (64.1%) |
| Female | 350 (41.7%) | 47 (35.9%) (p=0.2) |
| Smoking status | ||
| Current | 370 (44.1%) | 53 (40.5%) |
| Ex-regular | 328 (39.1%) | 69 (52.7%) |
| Never regular | 141 (16.8%) | 9 (6.9%) (p=0.002) |
| Reported respiratory symptoms | ||
| Dyspnoea | 651 (77.5%) | 110 (84.0%) (p=0.09) |
| MRC grade 3 or worse | 323 (38.5%) | 91 (69.5%) (p<0.001) |
| Wheeze | 548 (65.2%) | 119 (90.8%) (p<0.001) |
| Chronic cough | 366 (43.6%) | 93 (71.0%) (p<0.001) |
| Chronic phlegm | 305 (36.3%) | 89 (67.9%) (p<0.001) |
| Frequent winter bronchitis | 428 (51.0%) | 105 (80.2%) (p<0.001) |
| Any of the above respiratory symptoms | 840 (100%) | 131 (100%) |
| Severity of airflow obstruction* | ||
| Stage (FEV1% predicted) | ||
| II (50–80%) | 628 (74.8%) | 55 (42.0%) |
| III (30–49%) | 181 (21.6%) | 52 (39.7%) |
| IV (<30%) | 31 (3.7%) | 24 (18.3%) (p<0.001) |
| Likely to benefit most from disease- modifying treatment (FEV1 <50% predicted or MRC grade 3 dyspnoea) |
417 (49.6%) | 104 (79.4%) (p<0.001) |
*
Stage according to GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) guidelines.
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; MRC, Medical Research Council.