Evaluation of Dyspnea, Physical Activity, Muscle Strength, and Quality of Life in Frail Older Adults with COPD

This study aimed to assess dyspnea, physical activity, muscle strength, and health-related quality of life in older adults diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are also considered frail. The study included volunteers aged 65 and over, diagnosed with COPD according to GOLD criteria. Individuals with COPD were divided into two groups according to the FRAIL Frailty Scale: frail (n = 32) and non-frail (n = 30). At the assessment stage, various tools were used to evaluate different aspects for all individuals, including respiratory function test for assessing respiratory functions, Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MMRC) for evaluating dyspnea, Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) for assessing quality of life, FRAIL Frailty Scale and PRISMA-7 Frailty Scale for detecting frailty, Physical Activity Scale for Elderly (PASE) for evaluating physical activity, digital hand dynamometer for assessing quadriceps femoris muscle strength, and Jamar hand dynamometer for evaluating hand strength. Comparing the results of the Respiratory Function Test, SGRQ, PASE scores, and quadriceps femoris and handgrip strengths of frail and non-frail older adults with COPD was similar (p > 0.05), while frail and non-frail older adults with COPD showed statistical differences in the MMRC scores results (p < 0.05). MMRC score was worse in the frail group. Early diagnosis of COPD in frail older adults is very important for the health and quality of life of the patients. In order to prevent deterioration in frail COPD patients, both pharmacological and rehabilitative treatment methods should be started early.

Clinical trial number: NCT05811832.