The impact of low forced vital capacity on comorbidities and behavior restriction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Low forced vital capacity (FVC) is closely associated with reduced functional capacity in the general population. However, the role of low FVC has not yet been investigated in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study was performed to evaluate the impact of reduced FVC on behavior restriction in general population with COPD.

A cross-sectional study was performed using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey between 2007 and 2015. Participants aged 40–79 years with spirometry-defined COPD were analyzed to evaluate the association of low FVC (defined as FVC < 80% predicted) and behavior restriction.

A total of 3,345 patients with COPD were included. The proportion of subjects with low FVC varied widely according to the severity of airflow limitations (0.8%, 36.1%, and 81.4% in the mild, moderate, and severe-to-very-severe COPD groups, respectively). Among the participants with moderate COPD, low FVC was associated with older age, higher proportion of obesity, and comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and osteoporosis. Although there was no significant association between low FVC and behavior restriction in the mild or severe-to-very-severe COPD groups, low FVC was independently associated with behavior restriction in subjects with moderate COPD (adjusted odds ratio: 1.64, 95% confidence interval: 1.26–2.12).

The results of the present study indicated that low FVC is significantly associated with behavioral restriction in patients with moderate COPD.