Fig. 2

Population attributable fraction (PAF) of breathlessness related to medical conditions among middle-aged people. The PAF reflects the burden of breathlessness that is related to each medical condition, and is interpreted as the proportion of cases of breathlessness [defined as a modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) rating ≥ 2] that would be reduced if the medical condition were to be entirely removed from the population (all other risk factors being similar). PAFs (with 95% confidence intervals) are reported by sex, smoking history, and for people without self-reported cardiorespiratory disease. The group with self-reported cardiorespiratory disease is not included as estimates were less informative (due to the selection criterion)