Functional and Nonfunctional Parameters in Patients with Occupational Lung Diseases

Patients with occupational lung diseases (OLD) may present respiratory functional impairment, exertional dyspnea and decreased exercise tolerance. These factors lead to reduced daily physical activity, social isolation, decreased quality of life (QoL) and depression. Assessment of respiratory functional status in patients with OLD in correlation with the presence of anxiety and depression and the quality of life in patients with OLD, as extrapulmonary comorbidities. In patients with diagnosed OLD, the following parameters were evaluated: pulmonary function tests (FEV1, FVC), anxiety and depression with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and QoL by St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). 46 nonsmoking patients (9 females) were included in this study: occupational asthma (10), occupational COPD (20), pneumoconiosis (16). Mean aged 58.98 +/- 11.84SD years old. Anxiety and depression were present in 35 patients (76.08%). Mean HADS score was 14.3 points +/- 7.25SD, and a severe psychological impairment (HADS > 16) was found in 16 cases (34.8%). The highest incidence of anxiety and depression was found in COPD (85%, mean HADS score 16.05 points +/- 8.18SD), followed by pneumoconiosis (75%, mean HADS 13.5 points +/- 6.87SD) and OA (60%, mean HADS score 12.2 points +/- 5.45SD). The QoL was affected in all patients, with a mean SGRQ score of 52.7 points +/- 16.1SD; the most affected was the activity domain. In patients with OLD, extrapulmonary manifestations may be encountered, such as anxiety, depression and ultimately impaired QoL. This may indicate that treatment of these patients should be multidisciplinary, including psychosocial support.