A study of the drugs used in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their impact on quality-of-life

Objectives: The objective was to assess drugs used in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their impact on quality-of-life. Materials and Methods: All newly diagnosed patients visiting the pulmonary medicine OPD were enrolled for the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. All patients were followed up for 6 months. Symptom and drug therapy assessment was done every month, while spirometry and quality-of-life assessment was done every 2 months. St. George Respiratory questionnaire was used for quality-of-life assessment. Results: A total of 100 patients was enrolled in the study, 78 were males and 22 females with mean age being 58.91 ± 6.58 years. All 84 patients, who were smokers, smoked bidis. Statistically significant improvement was seen in dyspnea, while all other symptoms did not show such improvement. 26 patients suffered from mild COPD, 48 had a moderate severity while remaining 26 belonged to the severe form of the disease. Improvement was seen in all parameters of spirometry. Statistically significant improvement was seen in forced expiratory volume at 1 s (FEV₁) at 4 and 6 months, in forced vital capacity at 6 months, in FEV₁ % at 4 and 6 months as compared to baseline. Peak expiratory fl ow and forced expiratory fl ow 25-75 also showed statistically significant improvement at every follow-up as compared to baseline. Methylxanthines, anticholinergics, β₂ agonists, and corticosteroids were the commonly prescribed drugs. Improvement was seen in quality-of-life but overall improvement was not clinically significant. A decrease in total score in quality-of-life was seen from 44.63 at baseline to 41.76 at the end of 6 months. Correlation between quality-of-life and FEV₁ was found to be extremely significant. Conclusion: Improvement in quality-of-life was not clinically significant. However, correlation between FEV₁ and quality-of-life was extremely significant.