Association of combined anxiety and depression with quality of life, dyspnea, exercise tolerance in COPD patients

Background: Little research has explored the prevalence and impact of combined anxiety (A) and depression (D) in COPD patients compared with those with either or neither condition. Method: We analyzed data from COPD patients presenting for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in 2013 to 2019 in Lytham, UK. Patients were > 40 y with FEV1 Results: 991 COPD patients had mean age=70.8 years, FEV1=59.2% pred.,51% male). A was defined as DASS-21>7, and D as DASS-21>9. There were (39%) with A+D, 18%) with A alone, 6% with D alone and 37% with neither. Those with both A+D were younger and had significantly impaired QOL and more dyspnea and low exercise tolerance than those with either or neither condition despite similar FEV1(Table). Conclusion: About two fifths of COPD patients presenting for PR exhibit both anxiety and depression; they have greater symptom burden and poorer performance than patients with either or neither of these conditions.