Cough burden and quality of life in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis: A multicenter observational study

Cough is a prevalent symptom in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), often significantly impacting quality of life (QoL). However, there is limited data on cough's burden and its effects on QoL in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF).

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of cough burden on QoL among a cohort of patients with PPF.

This multicenter, cross-sectional cohort study focused on PPF. Cough severity and its impact on QoL were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) scores.

Of the 248 patients included, 136 (54.8 %) had PPF due to rheumatic diseases, and 193 (77.8 %) reported experiencing cough. Patients with fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia had the highest cough frequency (p = 0.019). Correlations between cough measures and other variables were generally weak. The mean total LCQ score was 16.1 ± 4.7, with correlations between age and LCQ sub-scores. LCQ total scores positively correlated with FVC (%) (r = 0.202, p = 0.002), DLCO (%) (r = 0.255, p < 0.001), and 6MWT distance (r = 0.277, p = 0.001). VAS scores showed a negative correlation with DLCO, FVC (%), FVC (L), and 6MWT distance. No factor was significantly associated with cough presence in logistic regression, but longer antifibrotic treatment duration and higher LCQ scores were linked to lower VAS scores in linear regression.

Cough is highly prevalent in PPF patients and significantly impacts health-related QoL, underscoring the need for targeted management of this symptom in PPF.