Risk of future diagnosis of COPD, asthma, and IHD in patients with a coded record of breathlessness symptom, stratified by prescription management
| Time period | Patient groupa | COPD Adjustedb HR (95% CI) | Asthma Adjustedb HR (95% CI) | IHD Adjustedb HR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| >6–12 months | A | 1.0 (Ref) | 1.0 (Ref) | 1.0 (Ref) |
| B | 5.6 (4.3 to 7.2) | 4.4 (3.5 to 5.7) | 2.0 (1.8 to 2.4) | |
| C | 16.9 (13.1 to 21.7) | 29.0 (23.1 to 36.3) | 4.1 (3.6 to 4.7) | |
| >12–36 months | A | 1.0 (Ref) | 1.0 (Ref) | 1.0 (Ref) |
| B | 4.0 (3.6 to 4.6) | 3.7 (3.2 to 4.2) | 1.5 (1.4 to 1.6) | |
| C | 8.8 (7.7 to 10.0) | 14.6 (12.9 to 16.5) | 2.4 (2.2 to 2.6) | |
| >36 months | A | 1.0 (Ref) | 1.0 (Ref) | 1.0 (Ref) |
| B | 2.3 (2.1 to 2.5) | 3.0 (2.7 to 3.2) | 1.4 (1.3 to 1.4) | |
| C | 4.1 (3.8 to 4.4) | 7.7 (7.1 to 8.4) | 2.0 (1.9 to 2.1) | |
↵a Patient groups: A = matched unexposed cohort; B = patients with a first coded record of breathlessness symptom, and no relevant prescribing in first 6 months after index date and before diagnosis (if any); C = patients with a first coded record of breathlessness symptom and relevant prescribing in first 6 months after index date and before diagnosis (if any). Size of patient groups: A (n = 75 698); B (COPD, n = 49 643; asthma, n = 49 385; IHD, n = 49 870); C (COPD, n= 26 055; asthma, n = 26 313; IHD, n = 25 828).
↵b Adjusted for: index year; age; sex; region; smoker, ever; alcohol drinker, ever; BMI; deprivation level; comorbidity; cough and sputum; inflammatory conditions; depression and anxiety; diabetes; non-specific chest pain; musculoskeletal pain. BMI = body mass index. COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. HR = hazard ratio. IHD = ischaemic heart disease.