Clinical significance of normalized airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

There is ongoing debate regarding the diagnostic criteria for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); recent studies have focused on the early COPD detection and management. Here, we compared clinical features and prognosis in patients with FEV1/FVC<0.70 at baseline, according to normalized airflow obstruction status during follow-up.

We used the Korea COPD Subgroup Study (KOCOSS) cohort database, a prospective nationwide observational COPD study. Normalized obstruction (NO) was defined as FEV1/FVC ≥0.7 in the 2-year follow-up period, whereas fixed obstruction (FO) was defined as FEV1/FVC <0.7. Demographic and clinical data, 1-year exacerbation risk and difference in FEV1 decline over 2 years were compared between NO and FO groups.

Among the 670 COPD patients with post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC <0.7 in this study, 95 (14.2%) displayed NO. Compared with the FO group, the NO group had higher FEV1, and DLCO, body mass index, as well as lower Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire, Beck Depression Index, and Beck Anxiety Index. Blood eosinophil count, IgE level, and FeNO did not significantly differ between two groups. There was no significant difference in exacerbation frequency between the two groups, but the NO group had a significant increase in FEV1 compared with the FO group during follow-up.

Transient airflow obstruction in the NO group may represent a clinical manifestation of early COPD; close monitoring is needed for such patients.