Abstract
Background: The prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction is difficult to measure since it requires screening in population-based samples to identify individuals free of clinical symptoms. The purpose of this report is to examine the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction and its relation with respiratory symptoms in middle-age adults in the Korean Health and Genome (KHG) Study. Methods: The KHG study is an ongoing population-based study of Korean adults aged 40 to 69 years. The current report includes 8,140 men and women without a pulmonary disorder or obstructive lung disease. In this sample, undiagnosed airflow obstruction was defined on the basis of spirometric testing and in the absence of a medical history or a recognized pulmonary disorder. Respiratory symptoms included chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Results: Undiagnosed airflow obstruction was observed in 12.4% of the men (470 of 3,806 subjects) and in 3.5% of the women (152 of 4,334 subjects). In men, the age-adjusted prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased consistently with increasing number of respiratory symptoms. In those who smoked, there was a 2.3-fold excess in its prevalence when three or more symptoms were present, as compared to when they were absent (27.4% vs 12.0%, p < 0.001). A 2.4-fold excess (20.6% vs 8.5%, p = 0.004) was observed in nonsmoking men, in whom respiratory symptoms were consistently less common than in those who smoked. Respiratory symptoms were unrelated to undiagnosed airflow obstruction in women smokers, although only 3.9% smoked cigarettes. In women who were nonsmokers, the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased from 2.3% in those without a respiratory symptom to 6.0% when three or more symptoms were present (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Findings suggest that undiagnosed airflow obstruction is common in Korea with several respiratory symptoms. Whether respiratory symptoms with associations with undiagnosed airflow obstruction can be used to design early intervention strategies that prevent or delay the onset of COPD and its disabling consequences warrants further study.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1234-1240 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Chest |
| Volume | 126 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2004 Oct 1 |
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Keywords
- Airflow obstruction
- Epidemiology
- Korea
- Respiratory symptoms
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Cite this
Respiratory symptoms and undiagnosed airflow obstruction in middle-aged adults : The Korean Health and Genome Study. / Shin, Chol; Lee, Sungim; Abbott, Robert D.; Kim, Je Hyeong; Lee, Sang Yeub; In, Kwang Ho; Kimm, KuChan.
In: Chest, Vol. 126, No. 4, 01.10.2004, p. 1234-1240.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Respiratory symptoms and undiagnosed airflow obstruction in middle-aged adults
T2 - The Korean Health and Genome Study
AU - Shin, Chol
AU - Lee, Sungim
AU - Abbott, Robert D.
AU - Kim, Je Hyeong
AU - Lee, Sang Yeub
AU - In, Kwang Ho
AU - Kimm, KuChan
PY - 2004/10/1
Y1 - 2004/10/1
N2 - Background: The prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction is difficult to measure since it requires screening in population-based samples to identify individuals free of clinical symptoms. The purpose of this report is to examine the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction and its relation with respiratory symptoms in middle-age adults in the Korean Health and Genome (KHG) Study. Methods: The KHG study is an ongoing population-based study of Korean adults aged 40 to 69 years. The current report includes 8,140 men and women without a pulmonary disorder or obstructive lung disease. In this sample, undiagnosed airflow obstruction was defined on the basis of spirometric testing and in the absence of a medical history or a recognized pulmonary disorder. Respiratory symptoms included chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Results: Undiagnosed airflow obstruction was observed in 12.4% of the men (470 of 3,806 subjects) and in 3.5% of the women (152 of 4,334 subjects). In men, the age-adjusted prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased consistently with increasing number of respiratory symptoms. In those who smoked, there was a 2.3-fold excess in its prevalence when three or more symptoms were present, as compared to when they were absent (27.4% vs 12.0%, p < 0.001). A 2.4-fold excess (20.6% vs 8.5%, p = 0.004) was observed in nonsmoking men, in whom respiratory symptoms were consistently less common than in those who smoked. Respiratory symptoms were unrelated to undiagnosed airflow obstruction in women smokers, although only 3.9% smoked cigarettes. In women who were nonsmokers, the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased from 2.3% in those without a respiratory symptom to 6.0% when three or more symptoms were present (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Findings suggest that undiagnosed airflow obstruction is common in Korea with several respiratory symptoms. Whether respiratory symptoms with associations with undiagnosed airflow obstruction can be used to design early intervention strategies that prevent or delay the onset of COPD and its disabling consequences warrants further study.
AB - Background: The prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction is difficult to measure since it requires screening in population-based samples to identify individuals free of clinical symptoms. The purpose of this report is to examine the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction and its relation with respiratory symptoms in middle-age adults in the Korean Health and Genome (KHG) Study. Methods: The KHG study is an ongoing population-based study of Korean adults aged 40 to 69 years. The current report includes 8,140 men and women without a pulmonary disorder or obstructive lung disease. In this sample, undiagnosed airflow obstruction was defined on the basis of spirometric testing and in the absence of a medical history or a recognized pulmonary disorder. Respiratory symptoms included chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Results: Undiagnosed airflow obstruction was observed in 12.4% of the men (470 of 3,806 subjects) and in 3.5% of the women (152 of 4,334 subjects). In men, the age-adjusted prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased consistently with increasing number of respiratory symptoms. In those who smoked, there was a 2.3-fold excess in its prevalence when three or more symptoms were present, as compared to when they were absent (27.4% vs 12.0%, p < 0.001). A 2.4-fold excess (20.6% vs 8.5%, p = 0.004) was observed in nonsmoking men, in whom respiratory symptoms were consistently less common than in those who smoked. Respiratory symptoms were unrelated to undiagnosed airflow obstruction in women smokers, although only 3.9% smoked cigarettes. In women who were nonsmokers, the prevalence of undiagnosed airflow obstruction increased from 2.3% in those without a respiratory symptom to 6.0% when three or more symptoms were present (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Findings suggest that undiagnosed airflow obstruction is common in Korea with several respiratory symptoms. Whether respiratory symptoms with associations with undiagnosed airflow obstruction can be used to design early intervention strategies that prevent or delay the onset of COPD and its disabling consequences warrants further study.
KW - Airflow obstruction
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Korea
KW - Respiratory symptoms
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=6344221799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=6344221799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1378/chest.126.4.1234
DO - 10.1378/chest.126.4.1234
M3 - Article
VL - 126
SP - 1234
EP - 1240
JO - Chest
JF - Chest
SN - 0012-3692
IS - 4
ER -