Depression and anxiety appear to increase the risk of flare-ups and hospitalisations for those suffering with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a disease of the lungs in which the airways become narrow and this causes problems while breathing. To study the independent impact of depression and anxiety on COPD, researchers from China identified 491 patients with stable COPD and followed them for a year. During the follow-up, 1326 episodes of flare-up occurred, of which 183 resulted in hospitalisation. Symptoms of depression and anxiety among the participants were assessed at the start of the study. It was found that probable depression increased the odds of flare-ups by more than 50 percent and hospitalisation by over 70 percent. Probable anxiety also raised the risk of certain types of flare-ups. The above findings indicate that depression and anxiety must be treated as clinically important risk factors for COPD, rather than consequences of having COPD.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
October 2008