Evaluation of the repercussion of depressive symptoms on the quality of life of patients with COPD

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with multiple comorbidities, and depression is frequent and most often underdiagnosed. The prevalence of depression in COPD patients varies from 10 to 42%, a much higher proportion than in the general population, and its related to higher rates of exacerbations and hospital admissions, greater severity of symptoms, worsening of functionality and ultimately, increased mortality. In this context the detection of the depressive condition in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease contributes to a better quality of life of this patients. In order to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with COPD and to analyze the repercussion of these symptoms in the quality of life, in rates of exacerbations, in hospital admission and in the severity of symptoms of patients with this disease, a non-interventional, descriptive and transversal study in the period from March 2018 to October 2018 at the Pulmonology Outpatient Clinic of the Faculdade Ciências Médicas of Minas Gerais. Among the results, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 25%. Contrary of what was expected, the symptoms were more common in the elderly population and there was no significant association between sex and pulmonary function index. Individuals with COPD and depressive symptoms presented worse outcomes related to quality of life, exacerbations and hospital admissions. It was not possible to verify whether patients with worse respiratory patterns develop depressive symptoms or if patients with depressive symptoms develop more exacerbations by possibly presenting worse severe symptomatology. Further studies are needed to elucidate these hypotheses.