The Ability of Different Scoring Systems to Predict Mortality in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

Respiration. 2019;98(6):495-502. doi: 10.1159/000502826. Epub 2019 Oct 30.

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality, therefore the prediction of mortality in COPD patients is crucial. In the current study, the abilities of different categorization systems to predict mortality in stable COPD patients from a prospective cohort were compared.

Methods: The ability to predict mortality was compared in terms of discrimination by Harrell's C (HC) index and calibration using graphical comparison among the GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) 2011, GOLD 2017, GOLD grade, BODE (BMI, Airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, Exercise), updated BODE, BODEx (BMI, Airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, Exacerbation), e-BODE (Exacerbation and BODE), ADO (Age, Dyspnea, Airflow Obstruction), COPD prognostic index (CPI), and simplified/optimized B-AE-D (BMI, Acute Exacerbation, Dyspnea) indexes.

Results: The study included 520 patients, of whom 63 died during a median 40-month follow-up period. Combined prediction systems exhibited higher discrimination properties than single predictors. The CPI exhibited the highest with a HC of 0.768, followed by the simplified B-AE-D (HC 0.761), ADO (HC 0.760), and optimized B-AE-D (HC 0.756). The BODE and its variants other than the ADO exhibited relatively lower HCs (0.656-0.705), and GOLD exhibited the lowest discrimination ability among the combined indices (HCs 0.628-0.637). Subjective symptom questionnaires such as the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale (HC 0.693) and SGRQ (HC 0.679) exhibited the highest ability to predict mortality among the single indices.

Conclusion: The ADO, simplified B-AE-D, optimized B-AE-D, and GOLD 2017 exhibited good calibration properties, but the CPI did not. The simplified and optimized B-AE-Ds and the ADO index had good discrimination and calibration properties for the prediction of mortality in stable COPD patients.

Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD 2017; Mortality; Prediction.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Cause of Death*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Databases, Factual
  • Disease Progression*
  • Exercise Tolerance*
  • Female
  • Forced Expiratory Volume
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / diagnosis*
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / mortality*
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / therapy
  • Respiratory Function Tests
  • Risk Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sex Factors
  • Survival Analysis