Effects of comorbidities on the CAT score: A population-based study

Background: the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is a disease-specific tool to assess health status and should not be influenced by comorbidities. Aims: to evaluate the CAT score according to the presence of comorbidities and its interaction with smoking and COPD. Method: this is a cross-sectional population-based study consisting of visits to households randomly selected. The subjects answered the CAT, a questionnaire with clinical data and performed spirometry. Depression symptoms were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The subjects reported if they have medical diagnosis of heart diseases, rhinitis, gastritis/reflux or asthma. A two-way ANOVA and the Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to evaluate the interactions between groups (non, former or current smokers and COPD) and comorbidities. Statistical significance was p 1 92.2±20.9% of predicted, CAT 6.9±7.0) were included. It was observed significant interaction between groups and depression symptoms (F=10.1), obesity (F=3.6), and gastritis/reflux (F=2.8) on the CAT score (p 0.05). Conclusions: the presence of depression symptoms increased the CAT score in non, former and current smokers and in COPD patients. Obesity and gastritis/reflux also increased the CAT score.