Abstract: The COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is predicted to be the third leading cause of death worldwide & fifth leading cause of years lost by premature death or disability by year 2020 as per epidemiological projections. The study was conducted to assess the COPD prevalence among healthy active male smokers by spirometry in a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India.
Methods: A total of 512 individuals who met the inclusion criteria and given written consent for participation in the study were evaluated by spirometry. Based on spirometry, subjects were classified as having mild COPD (FEV1/FVC <0.70, FEV1>80%of predicted normal value), Moderate COPD (FEV1/FVC <0.70, FEV1 30-50%of predicted normal value), and severe COPD (FEV1/FVC <0.70, FEV1 < 30%of predicted normal value) as per GOLD guidelines.
Results: All the subjects were active male smokers with mean (± SD) age of 42.82 ± 8.68. 304 subjects (59.38%) were more than 40 years of age and 208 (40.62%) were less than or equal to 40 years. Overall airway obstruction was seen in 60 (11.71%) subjects. Mild obstruction (GOLD Stage 1) was seen in 42 (70 %) of the cases that have recorded airway obstruction and 8.20% of the total number of subjects. Moderate obstruction (GOLD Stage 2) in 18 (30%) of the subjects that have recorded airway obstruction and 3.51% of the total number of subjects. In smokers more than 40 years of age and with smoking index more than 200 (n=250), 48 (19.2 %) had obstruction and in smokers less than 40 years of age and smoking index less than 200 (n=160), 05 (3.12%) had obstruction (p<0.005).
Conclusion: It is interfered by present study that early diagnosis of COPD by spirometry, especially in smokers more than 40 years of age and with smoking index of more than 200, is likely to detect COPD by spirometry at an early stage and will positively impact the draining of resources. At present we do not have confirmatory evidence in support of the statement that early diagnosis of COPD may improve the smoking cessation. The best way to reduce the cost of such screening programs is to link spirometry with other screening programs like detection of diabetes, hypertension and other life style diseases in men.
Keywords: COPD, GOLD, NICE, FEV1, FVC, Smoking INDEX, AGE.
Title: EARLY DETECTION OF COPD BY SPIROMETRY IN ACTIVE MALE SMOKERS
Author: Dr Rajinder Kumar Goyal, Dr Surinder Kumar
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
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