Gender and COPD in patients attending a pulmonary clinic: Chest 2005;128:2012–6

Objectives To compare gender differences in the clinical expression of COPD patients attending a pulmonary clinic. Materials and methods We compared 53 FEV 1 -matched men and women with COPD attending a pulmonary clinic. We studied age, smoking pack-years history, P a(O 2 ), P a(CO 2 ), functional residual capacity, body mass index (BMI), dyspnea, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), health-related quality of life, presence of comorbidities, and exacerbations in the previous year. Results Women were younger (57 years vs. 65 years, P 0.05 ), smoked less (48 pack-years vs. 69 pack-years, P 0.05 ), had better P a(O 2 ) (74 mmHg vs. 67 mmHg, P 0.05 ), lower P a(CO 2 ) (40 mmHg vs. 45 mmHg, P 0.05 ), lower BMI (25 vs. 28, P 0.05 ), more exacerbations in the last year (1 vs. 0, P 0.05 ), and fewer comorbidities (Charlson score 2 vs. score 4, P 0.05 ) than men. Even though women had the same FEV 1 , better oxygenation, better P a(CO 2 ), and fewer comorbidities, they performed poorer in walking distance (6MWD percentage of predicted, 87% vs. 105%; P = 0.05 ), had worse quality-of-life scores (Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ] symptoms score, 51 vs. 41, P 0.05 ; SGRQ activity score, 58 vs. 47, P 0.05 ), and had a higher degree of dyspnea (Modified Medical Research Council scale>2, 28% vs. 6%, P = 0.05 ). Conclusions In a population of patients with COPD attending a pulmonary clinic, there are gender-related differences in the clinical expression of COPD that need further attention.