[Quality of life in chronic obstructive lung disease. Experience in a hospital from Western Mexico]

The chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) is a common, expensive and preventable disease, and the evaluation of the quality of life in patients with the condition widens the scope of the results in their attention. The objective was to evaluate the health related quality of life (HRQL) according to the severity of the COPD.

Descriptive study. Patients with COPD diagnosis according with the severity and related with the HRQL measured using a specific questionnaire. Statistical analyses were made using c2 or ANOVA in ranks according with the variables. A p value = 0.05 was considered significant.

62 patients were included; 61% women. HRQL questionnaire showed the Activity dimension as the more negatively affected (65 ± 24 points, p < 0.05). In the Impact dimension, severity groups III and IV were more affected compared with groups I and II (p < 0.05). There was a directly correlation between a better FEV1 with better HRQL results (r2-0.544 p < 0.0001).

HRQL is affected and clinically meaningful in patients with a major severity degree of the COPD condition. The parameters that better predicts a worst HRQL was % FEV1 and FVC.