A study on assessment of health related quality of life within different severity categories of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India

Background: COPD is one of the major health problems worldwide which negatively affects patients, their families, the employment sector and the society and is estimated to become the third cause of death worldwide by 2020. Aim and objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between health related quality of life and disease severity using SGRQ C. Methods: It is a prospective, observational study conducted for a period of three months that assessed the QoL using SGQR C of COPD patients aged 30 – 85 years. The study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Mukkam, Kozhikode, Kerala. Patients were categorized in to mild, moderate, severe and very severe patients based on FEV1 and QoL is assessed by patient self assessment questionnaire. Results: Total number of patients enrolled in study were 91 that includes 9 mild, 35 moderate , 39 severe and 13 very severe patients. Total SQRQ C score were assessed separately in four COPD categories were mean total score of 26.22 ± 4.34 for mild patients, 47.99 ± 5.09 in moderate and 58.56 ± 5.95 and 66.48 ± 10.20 for very severe patients. HRQoL declines with increase in severity of disease and the deterioration is inversely proportional to FEV1 values. Conclusion: Assessment of HRQoL in COPD patients revels how the disease affects with wide range of disturbances in physiological wellbeing and phycho social functioning which they experienced in daily life.