[Analysis of quality of life in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) who give up smoking].

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact in COPD patients' quality of life who stop smoking.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied a group of COPD patients who received smoking cessation treatment. All patients were treated with bronchodilators according to the severity of their disorder. This treatment was not changed during the process of smoking cessation. Patients received a smoking cessation programme that consisted of a combination of pharmacological treatment plus cognitive-behavioural treatment. All subjects fill in CAT questionnaire before starting smoking cessation programme and after 6 months of abstinence. All subjects included had stop smoking.

RESULTS: The study included 59 patients, with 27 (45.8%) males, and a mean age of 61.8 (7.5) years. Mean CAT score before quitting was 18.9 (7.3) points, and after 6 months of abstinence was 8.1 (6.1) points, P=.038. Multiple regression analysis showed: a) the higher the baseline CAT score the greater is the difference after quitting, at 6 months, at same age, gender, and grade of severity of COPD, and b) the older the age, the lower is the difference between baseline CAT score and the 6 months CAT score.

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation is associated with improvement in the quality of life in COPD patients. Those with worse quality of life get the biggest benefit from quitting, although this difference can be diminished in ageing patients.