Dyspnoea and quality of life in older people at home

摘要

Objectives: to determine the prevalence of dyspnoea in older people at home, measure its impact on function and quality of life, and identify associated cardio-respiratory diseases. Design: cross-sectional population-based study. Methods: we sent a modified Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea questionnaire to identify breathlessness in 1404 randomly selected subjects from general practitioner lists of 5002 subjects aged 70 years and over living at home. We visited a further random sample of 500 of these subjects at home and at a study centre. Setting: community-based study in south Wales.