Chronic Airflow Limitation, Lower Respiratory Symptoms, COPD and Chronic Rhinosinusitis in a Middle-Aged Population: The Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (SCAPIS). A Link Between the Lower and Upper Airways

Overview

Journal Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Pulmonary Medicine

Date 2025 Feb 17

PMID 39959845

Authors

Anders Andersson

Joel Bergqvist

Linus Schioler

Apostolos Bossios

Lovisa Farnebo

Thorbjorn Holmlund

Christer Janson

Sumru Keceli

Mirjam Ljunggren

Andrei Malinovschi

Ensieh Memarian

Ulf Nihlen

Peter M Nilsson

Ida Pesonen

Marcus Sjostrom

Nikolai Stenfors

Fredrik Sundbom

Mimmi Werner

Kjell Toren

Magnus Skold

Johan Hellgren

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is related to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, combined data on CRS, pulmonary function, lower airway symptoms, and cigarette smoking from the general population are lacking. The current study investigates the relationships between CRS and chronic airflow limitation (CAL), lower airway symptoms and COPD in a middle-aged population of ever-smokers and never-smokers.

Patients And Methods: All subjects from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) were included. Subjects underwent spirometry after bronchodilation. Chronic airflow limitation was defined as FEV/FVC ratio <0.7. Computed tomography imaging of the thorax was performed to detect the presence of emphysema, and the subjects answered a comprehensive questionnaire on CRS, lower airway symptoms, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and cigarette smoking habits.

Results: In total, 30,154 adult subjects in the age range of 50-64 years were included. The prevalence of CRS was 5.6%. CRS was more-prevalent among subjects in the following categories: CAL (7.6%), lower airway symptoms (15.7%), current smokers (8.2%), asthma (13.6%), never-smokers and ever-smokers with COPD (17.6% and 15.3%, respectively), emphysema (6.7%), and chronic bronchitis (24.5%). In the adjusted regression model, CRS was significantly associated with CAL (OR 1.40), lower airway symptoms (OR 4.59), chronic bronchitis (OR 6.48), asthma (OR 3.08), and COPD (OR 3.10).

Conclusion: In this national, randomly chosen population sample of more than 30,000 middle-aged men and women, CRS is associated with CAL, lower airway symptoms, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and COPD. In patients with CRS and in patients with lower airway inflammation, it is important to consider the inflammatory status of the entire airway system.

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