Depression Symptoms in Stable COPD Linked to Mortality

Stable COPD patients with depressive symptoms have nearly doubled mortality risk

16 june 2009-- Depression symptoms occurring in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with all-cause mortality, according to a report published in the March issue of Chest.

Jacob N. de Voogd, of the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues evaluated the presence of depressive symptoms in 121 patients with stable COPD with a mean age of 61.5 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a self-administered survey, and patients were followed for 8.5 years.

The mortality rate over the study follow-up period was 63 percent, and the median survival time was 5.3 years, the researchers report. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with all-cause mortality (odds ratio, 1.93). This association occurred independently of the evaluated patient characteristics, including gender, age and peak workload level, the report indicates.

"This study provides evidence that depressive symptoms assessed in stable patients with COPD are associated with their subsequent all-cause mortality," the authors conclude. Although this link was previously reported, "this is one of the first studies demonstrating that there is an association even in stable COPD patients."

Abstract
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