Pneumologie 2025; 79(S 01): S23-S24
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1804585
Abstracts
A2 – COPD

Chronic cough and expectoration do not predict development of airflow obstruction, but FEV1 decline: Results from the KORA-study

H Pott
1   Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Clinic for Airway Infections, University Medical Centre Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg; University Medical Centre Marburg; Clinic for Airway Infections
,
B Weckler
2   Philipps-University Marburg; Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Clinic for Airway Infections
,
M Heier
3   Helmholtz Zentrum München,Institut für Epidemiologie; Klinikum Augsburg, Monica/Kora-Herzinfarktregister; Institute of Epidemiology Ii, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
,
A Peters
4   Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health; Institute of Epidemiology
,
C Vogelmeier
5   Phillips-Universität Marburg; Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, and Critical Care Medicine
,
S Karrasch
6   Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München; LMU-Klinikum
,
B Schmeck
7   Klinik für Innere Medizin M.S. Pneumologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (Dzl); Institute for Lung Research, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, German Center for Lung Research (Dzl), Marburg, Germany
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
 

Background: Chronic Bronchitis has been proposed by GOLD as a phenotype of pre-COPD. Besides, chronic bronchitis has consistently been linked to increased decline in FEV1. Recently, an analysis of the Copenhagen Health Study linked chronic bronchitis to development of COPD. Therefore, we investigated associations of chronic bronchitis with FEV1 decline and development of COPD in the German population-based cohort KORA.

Methods: 2255 individuals from KORA were analysed for signs of chronic cough and/or expectoration. Patients came from two groups, one with n=1320, aged 41 – 62 years, the other with n=935, aged 65 – 90 years. Spirometry data were analyzed with healthy lung function status defined as FEV1/FVC>0.7 and>10th percentile, as well as FEV1 and FVC% pred.>80%, and COPD defined as FEV1/FVC<0.7 and<lower limit of normal. Chronic bronchitis was assessed as patient-reported presence of chronic cough with expectoration for at least three months per year. Patients were followed over a period of 3.5 – 7 years.

Results: In the higher age group, chronic cough and expectoration was associated with an increased risk for high yearly FEV1 decline (> 100 ml, OR 2.3 [1.42 – 3.72], p<0.001), but not a spirometry result consistent with development of COPD. Simultaneously, no such association was found in younger individuals. Generally, most patients with chronic cough or expectoration did not display airflow obstruction, PRISM or early airflow limitation, defined as FEV1/FVC>0.7 and<10th percentile or FEV1/FVC<0.7 and in range of 5th to 10th percentile. Spirometry values of patients with chronic cough and/or expectoration displayed no clustering pattern when compared to COPD or at-risk for COPD subgroups.

Conclusion: In a population-based cohort of middle-aged and older individuals, chronic cough and/or expectoration were in the majority associated with normal lung function status. Chronic bronchitis symptoms did not predict development of COPD during follow-up. However, presence of cough/and or bronchitis was significantly associated with increased FEV1 decline in elder individuals.



Publication History

Article published online:
18 March 2025

© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany