Absolute lung size and the sex difference in breathlessness in the general population

Magnus Ekström; Josefin Sundh; Linus Schiöler; Eva Lindberg; Annika Rosengren; Göran Bergström; Oskar Angerås; Jan Hedner; John Brandberg; Björn Bake; Kjell Torén

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190876

Absolute lung size and the sex difference in breathlessness in the general population

PLoS One. 2018 Jan 5;13(1):e0190876. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190876. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Magnus Ekström¹, Josefin Sundh², Linus Schiöler³, Eva Lindberg⁴, Annika Rosengren⁵, Göran Bergström⁵, Oskar Angerås^{5

6}, Jan Hedner⁷, John Brandberg⁸, Björn Bake⁹, Kjell Torén³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Institution for Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
² Department of Respiratory Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
³ Section of Occupational and environmental medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Medical Sciences, Respiratory-, Allergy- and Sleep Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁵ The Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁶ Department of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁷ Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁸ Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁹ Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: Breathlessness is associated with major adverse health outcomes and is twice as common in women as men in the general population. We evaluated whether this is related to their lower absolute lung volumes.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the population-based Swedish CardioPulmonarybioImage Study (SCAPIS) Pilot, including static spirometry and diffusing capacity (n = 1,013; 49% women). Breathlessness was measured using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale and analyzed using ordinal logistic regression adjusting for age, pack-years of smoking, body mass index, chronic airway limitation, asthma, chronic bronchitis, depression and anxiety in all models.

Results: Breathlessness was twice as common in women as in men; adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.20 (95% confidence interval, 1.32-3.66). Lower absolute lung volumes were associated with increased breathlessness prevalence in both men and women. The sex difference in breathlessness was unchanged when adjusting for lung function in %predicted, but disappeared when controlling for absolute values of total lung capacity (OR 1.12; 0.59-2.15), inspiratory capacity (OR 1.26; 0.68-2.35), forced vital capacity (OR 0.84; 0.42-1.66), forced expiratory volume in one second (OR 0.70; 0.36-1.35) or lung diffusing capacity (OR 1.07; 0.58-1.97).

Conclusion: In the general population, the markedly higher prevalence of breathlessness in women is related to their smaller absolute lung volumes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Dyspnea / physiopathology*
Female
Humans
Lung / anatomy & histology*
Lung / physiopathology
Male
Middle Aged
Respiratory Function Tests
Sex Factors*
Sweden

Grants and funding

The main funding body of The Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) was the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation (GB, AR and KT). The study was also funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council (VR), VINNOVA and the Swedish Council for Working Life, Health, and Welfare (FORTE) (GB, AR and KT). In addition, there was support from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and grants from the Swedish state under the agreement concerning research and education of doctors in Western Sweden and from the Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg (GB, AR and KT). ME was supported by unrestricted grants from The Swedish Society of Medicine, the Swedish Respiratory Society, the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, the Scientific Committee of Blekinge County Council, and the Wera and Emil Cornell Foundation (ME). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.