New Test Measures Death Risk in COPD Patients
Reported March 21, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A new, non-invasive test measuring lung hyperinflation can be used to predict the risk of death in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study. COPD is a lung disease that often results from years of heavy smoking. Researchers in Spain and the United States compared inspiratory capacity — how much air is breathed in — to total lung capacity in 689 COPD patients. About 27 percent of these patients died during the follow-up period. Results show 42 percent of the patients who took the new test scored below the 25 percent cutoff point, while 58 percent of patients scored higher than 25 percent. Among patients who died during follow-up, 71 percent scored below 25 percent. Researchers believe the new test may be an effective tool to help determine mortality in patients suffering from COPD. They recommend the test be used in future evaluations of COPD patients.
SOURCE: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2005;171:591-597