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The relationships among dyspnoea, health‐related quality of life and psychological factors in sarcoidosis
Author(s) -
Boer Sally,
Kolbe John,
Wilsher Margaret L.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
respirology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1440-1843
pISSN - 1323-7799
DOI - 10.1111/resp.12359
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , anxiety , sarcoidosis , pulmonary function testing , depression (economics) , vital capacity , physical therapy , hyperventilation , cardiology , hospital anxiety and depression scale , lung function , lung , psychiatry , diffusing capacity , nursing , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract Background and objectives Dyspnoea is a common symptom in sarcoidosis and is not predictably related to pulmonary function or radiology. A subjective symptom of dyspnoea is likely to be influenced by patient perception and experience. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and nature of dyspnoea in sarcoidosis and describe the relationship of dyspnoea to psychological factors and health‐related quality of life ( HRQL ). Methods Fifty‐six subjects (31 men, mean age 51 years) with sarcoidosis completed an HRQL measure, S t G eorge's R espiratory Q uestionnaire ( SGRQ ), H ospital A nxiety and D epression S cale ( HADS ) and N ijmegen questionnaire. The presence of symptoms of dyspnoea was noted and qualitative descriptors for dyspnoea were chosen at peak exercise. Resting pulmonary function was performed. Results Sixty‐four per cent of the subjects reported dyspnoea. Those with symptoms were older, had a longer duration of disease and with lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s ( FEV 1 ) and FEV 1 /forced vital capacity ( FVC ) (all P < 0.05). Symptoms of dyspnoea were associated with worse HRQL ( P < 0.005) and higher scores on the N ijmegen questionnaire ( P < 0.05). Anxiety was not associated with dyspnoea and only a trend to greater depression was observed ( P = 0.066). In multivariate analysis, SGRQ and Nijmegen scores predicted dyspnoea independent of demographic factors and resting pulmonary function. Conclusion Dyspnoea is common in sarcoidosis and is associated with worse HRQL irrespective of baseline pulmonary function. Hyperventilation appears to be a factor contributing to dyspnoea and the N ijmegen questionnaire may be helpful in assessing dyspnoea and hyperventilation in sarcoidosis patients.