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Table 2 Medical conditions in relation to breathlessness in the middle-aged general population

From: Exertional breathlessness related to medical conditions in middle-aged people: the population-based SCAPIS study of more than 25,000 men and women

 

Without breathlessness (mMRC 0–1)

With breathlessness (mMRC ≥ 2)

Association with breathlessness

Odds ratio (95% CI)

Crude

Adjusted for confounders*

N = 24,996

N = 952

N = 25,948**

N = 25,948**

Respiratory disease

5994 (24.0%)

470 (49.4%)

3.1 (2.5–3.8)

2.7 (2.1–3.6)

 Asthma

1836 (7.3%)

189 (19.9%)

3.1 (2.6–3.7)

2.9 (2.5–3.4)

 Chronic airflow limitation

2507 (10.0%)

199 (20.9%)

2.4 (2.1–2.7)

2.3 (1.9–2.7)

 Emphysema (HRCT)

1314 (5.3%)

113 (11.9%)

2.4 (1.8–3.2)

1.9 (1.3–2.9)

 Chronic bronchitis

604 (2.4%)

103 (10.8%)

4.9 (4.1–5.9)

4.2 (3.3–5.2)

 Chronic rhinosinuitis

513 (2.1%)

51 (5.4%)

2.7 (1.7–4.4)

2.3 (1.2—4.4)

 Restrictive spirometry pattern

415 (1.7%)

51 (5.4%)

3.4 (2.6–4.3)

2.7 (2.0–3.5)

 Other respiratory disease

277 (1.1%)

43 (4.5%)

4.2 (3.0–5.9)

4.2 (3.0–5.9)

Body mass index (kg/m2)

 < 25.0

9,255 (37.0%)

128 (13.4%)

1 (Ref)

1 (Ref)

 25–29.9

10,957 (43.8%)

293 (30.8%)

1.9 (1.7–2.2)

2.1 (1.8–2.4)

 ≥ 30

4,784 (19.1%)

531 (55.8%)

8.0 (7.3–8.9)

7.6 (6.7–8.6)

Anemia

837 (3.3%)

49 (5.1%)

1.6 (1.1–2.1)

1.8 (1.3–2.4)

Peripheral arterial insufficiency

65 (0.3%)

8 (0.8%)

3.3 (2.1–5.0)

3.0 (2.1–4.1)

Stress level

 Never stress

1263 (5.1%)

22 (2.3%)

1 (Ref)

1 (Ref)

 Any stress period

9006 (36.0%)

255 (26.8%)

1.6 (0.9–3.1)

1.9 (1.0–3.8)

Some stress periods (last 5 yrs)

9799 (39.2%)

283 (29.7%)

1.7 (1.0–2.8)

2.2 (1.2–4.0)

 Constant stress (last 1 year)

2479 (9.9%)

146 (15.3%)

3.4 (2.1–5.4)

4.1 (2.4–7.2)

 Constant stress (last 5 yrs)

2449 (9.8%)

246 (25.8%)

5.8 (3.4–10.0)

6.7 (3.8–11.8)

Depression

3350 (13.4%)

350 (36.8%)

3.8 (3.1–4.6)

2.9 (2.3–3.5)

Cardiac disease

2204 (8.8%)

178 (18.7%)

2.4 (2.9–3.9)

2.3 (1.7–3.2)

 Coronary artery stenosis

1301 (5.6%)

76 (9.3%)

1.7 (1.57–2.1)

1.6 (1.4–1.9)

 Ischemic heart disease

447 (1.8%)

53 (5.6%)

3.2 (2.6–4.1)

2.3 (1.7–3.2)

  CABG/PCI

242 (1.0%)

24 (2.5%)

2.6 (1.8–3.9)

2.0 (1.2–3.4)

  Myocardial infarction

351 (1.4%)

45 (4.7%)

3.5 (2.7–4.6)

2.4 (1.7–3.4)

 Atrial fibrillation/flutter

417 (1.7%)

41 (4.3%)

2.7 (1.9–3.7)

2.6 (1.8–3.8)

 Cardiac valvular disease

184 (0.7%)

23 (2.4%)

3.3 (1.5–7.5)

3.9 (1.7–9.2)

 Heart failure

93 (0.4%)

26 (2.7%)

7.5 (4.2–13.4)

6.1 (3.2–11.8)

CAC total score

0.0 (0.0–19.0)

0.0 (0.0–42.0)

–

–

CAC category

 0

14,638 (58.6%)

489 (51.4%)

1 (Ref)

1 (Ref)

 1–100

6994 (28.0%)

267 (28.0%)

1.1 (1.0–1.3)

1.0 (0.9–1.1)

 > 100

2851 (11.4%)

152 (16.0%)

1.6 (1.3–2.0)

1.3 (1.1–1.6)

Missing

513 (2.1%)

44 (4.6%)

–

–

  1. Data presented as frequency (%) and associations as odds ratio (95% confidence interval) analyzed using logistic regression. CAL was defined as a ratio of the forced expired volume in 1 s to the forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) < 0.7 post bronchodilator. Restrictive spirometry pattern was defined as having a FVC < the lower limit of normal (LLN) and FEV1/FVC ≥ LLN
  2. CABG coronary artery bypass graft surgery, CAC coronary artery calcification, CI confidence interval, HRCT high resolution computer tomography, mMRC modified Medical Research Council breathlessness score, PCI percutaneous coronary intervention
  3. *Adjusted for age, sex, smoking history, pack-years of smoking, highest completed education, and body mass index (when appropriate)
  4. **The analysis of coronary artery stenosis included 25,391 people due to missing data for the variable (n = 557)
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Respiratory Research

ISSN: 1465-993X

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