Associations between lung function and dyspnoea, self-rated health, and mortality: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study

Associations between lung function and dyspnoea, self-rated health, and mortality: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study. Background: Little is known about associations between lung function and dyspnoea, self-rated health, and mortality independent of diagnostic classification. Objectives: To study associations between lung function, measured as forced expiratory volume in one second in per cent of predicted (FEV1 % predicted), and dyspnoea, poor self-rated health, and 10-year overall mortality. Methods: We analysed data from 5629 women and 5056 men participating in the bronchial obstruction sub-study of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 1995-97. In a cross-sectional design we used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for dyspnoea or poor health associated with FEV1 % predicted. In a prospective cohort design we used Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) of death associated with FEV1 % predicted. We adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, education, co-morbidity, and in the mortality analysis also total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure. Results: When comparing participants having FEV1