Abstract
Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is associated with persistent respiratory symptoms and progressive functional limitation, significantly impairing health-related quality of life (HRQoL). While spirometry remains essential for diagnosis, symptom-based assessment tools such as the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale provide important insight into patient-perceived disease burden. However, the interrelationship between these scales and their combined impact on HRQoL requires further evaluation.
Objectives: To assess the correlation between clinical severity parameters and health-related quality of life among patients with COPD.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted among 125 clinically stable COPD patients in a tertiary care hospital. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Symptom severity and HRQoL were assessed using CAT, mMRC, and Borg scales. Pain severity and interference domains were also evaluated. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Spearman’s rank correlation, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The majority of patients were aged 36–60 years (52.8%), with male predominance (70.4%) and high smoking prevalence (70.4%). Most patients were categorized under medium (44.0%) and high (41.6%) CAT impact levels. Moderate to moderately severe dyspnea (mMRC Grades 2–3) was observed in 56.8% of participants. Borg scale assessment showed 94.4% of patients experienced mild-to-severe exertional symptoms. Severe to very severe pain was reported by 78.4% of patients, significantly interfering with daily activities and sleep. HRQoL analysis revealed that 64.8% had moderate and 32.8% had poor quality of life. Strong positive correlations were observed between CAT and Borg scores (ρ = 0.910), mMRC and Borg scores (ρ = 0.913), and mMRC and CAT scores (ρ = 0.879), all statistically significant (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: COPD patients demonstrate substantial multidimensional symptom burden and impaired HRQoL. Strong inter-scale correlations validate the complementary use of CAT, mMRC, and Borg tools in comprehensive clinical assessment and patient-centered management.