Assessment of disability and handicap associated with dyspnoea in elderly subjects

In a sample of 2792 community dwellers, aged 65 and over, randomly selected in an administrative area of southwestern France, eight items of the functional assessment scales had an independent association with dyspnoea, adjusting for age, visual or hearing impairments, depressive symptomatology, and cognitive impairment. These eight items included: two activities of daily living (dressing and continence), two instrumental activities of daily living (shopping and use of transportation), three Rosow items (walking half a mile, climbing stairs, and doing heavy housework), and a mobility scale. Disability increased with breathlessness grade in each of these items, but with different patterns, suggesting a hierarchical relationship between some Rosow, IADL and ADL items for the association of dyspnoea with disability.