Evaluation of the COPD Assessment Test and GOLD patient types: a cross-sectional analysis

Abstract

BackgroundThe COPD Assessment Test (CAT) has been recently developed to quantify COPD impact in routine practice. However, no relationship with other measures in the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy has been evaluated. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship of the CAT with other GOLD multidimensional axes, patient types, and the number of comorbidities.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional analysis of the Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (On-Sint) study. The CAT score was administered to all participants at the inclusion visit. A GOLD 2011 strategy consisting of modified Medical Research Council scale (MRC) scores was devised to study the relationship between the CAT, and GOLD 2011 axes and patient types. The relationship with comorbidities was assessed using the Charlson comorbidity index, grouped as zero, one to two, and three or more.ResultsThe CAT questionnaire was completed by 1,212 patients with COPD. The CAT maintained a relationship with all the three axes, with a ceiling effect for dyspnea and no distinction between mild and moderate functional impairment. The CAT score increased across GOLD 2011 patient types A–D, with similar scores for types B and C. Within each GOLD 2011 patient type, there was a considerably wide distribution of CAT values.ConclusionOur study indicates a correlation between CAT and the GOLD 2011 classification axes as well as the number of comorbidities. The CAT score can help clinicians, as a complementary tool to evaluate patients with COPD within the different GOLD patient types.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired disease control in asthma–COPD overlap syndrome patients

“…CAT has been developed to quantify COPD impact in routine clinical practice, and it has become one of the main tools in the recognition of health status in the disease. 28 In our study, CAT scores did not differ in COPD and ACOS patients; however, we did find an association between CAT scores and 25(OH)D level in ACOS group, but not in COPD patients. This observation supports the hypothesis that vitamin D level may have a stronger effect on health status in ACOS patients, than in COPD subjects.…”

Baseline Symptom Score Impact on Benefits of Glycopyrrolate/Formoterol Metered Dose Inhaler in COPD

“…This is consistent with the findings from other studies showing that an mMRC grade of 2 generally equates to an average range of CAT score of 16 to 20. [26][27][28] In contrast, GOLD uses a CAT score of 10 or an mMRC score of 2 to establish a boundary between GOLD A/C (fewer symptoms) and GOLD B/D (more symptoms) patient subgroups. 1 Although GOLD does not state that the CAT and mMRC scores are related and recognizes that these patient-reported outcomes have different purposes, additional studies to generate data and a framework of reference are needed to confirm whether the CAT score of 10 is an appropriate cutoff point.…”

COPD beyond proximal bronchial obstruction: phenotyping and related tools at the bedside

“…In contrast, some patients with severe airflow obstruction did not complain of any symptoms [5]. Other studies demonstrated a wide distribution of the COPD assessment test, a score representing disease impact on patient's life, with respect to GOLD stage [6]. Even the time course of bronchial obstruction is variable, with a different FEV1 decline within GOLD stages [7].…”