This thesis investigated lifestyle characteristics including cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary supplements intake, physical activity, and urinary incontinence status for Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Field studies were conducted in the middle of Japan. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey and all patients were recruited from the outpatient departments of six hospitals in three districts/prefectures, namely, Aichi, Gifu, and Kyoto. Three hundred referred COPD patients diagnosed by respiratory physicians were recruited in 2006. Inclusion criteria were (i) aged between 50 and 75 years; and (ii) had COPD as the primary functionally limiting illness which was diagnosed within the past four years. Diagnosis of COPD was confirmed by spirometry with FEV1/FVC < 70%, where FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in one second and FVC = forced vital capacity. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on lifestyle characteristics. All interviews, averaging 40 minutes, took place in the hospital outpatient departments. Clinical characteristics, height, weight and presence of any co-morbidity (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease), were retrieved from medical records. / A total of 278 eligible participants (244 men and 34 women) were available for analysis. The majority were men (88%) with mean age 66.5 (SD 6.7) years and mean body mass index (BMI) 21.9 (SD 3.6). Most of them were married (84%), had high school or below education (80%) and retired (55%). In relation to cigarette smoking, 62 (53 male and 9 female) participants (22.5%) were current smokers of whom the great majority (89%) smoked daily. Only six (2.1%) participants were never smokers. The prevalence of smoking by time from diagnosis was: 24.5% (< 1 year), 20.6% (1-2 years), and 18.9% (2-4 years). Continuous smoking was inversely associated with age (odds ratio (OR) = 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90-0.98), BMI (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.97) and disease severity vii (OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.12-0.74 for severe COPD and OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.09-0.92 for very severe COPD). For alcohol consumption, 158 (150 male and 8 female) patients (56.8%) drank alcohol regularly on at least a monthly basis, the majority of them (73.4%) being daily drinkers. Beer was the most preferred alcoholic beverage drank (30.9%). Alcohol intake appeared to be positively associated with the habit of adding soy sauce to foods, whereas dyspnoea of patients posed significant limitations for them to drink alcoholic beverages. / Also, female patients tended to have lower alcohol consumption levels than male patients. Regarding dietary supplements, 117 (101 male and 16 female) participants (42.1%) were dietary supplement users, but the prevalence for female patients (47.1%) was higher than male patients (41.4%). Younger patients (≤ 60 years) and those with severe COPD had relatively low proportion of users (27.3% and 28.9%, respectively). Dietary supplementation was found to be affected by age (p = 0.04), COPD severity (p = 0.03) and presence of co-morbidity (p = 0.03). Older patients over 60 years were more likely to take dietary supplements (OR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.03-5.80), whereas severe COPD patients (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.18-0.95) and those with a co-morbidity (OR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.32-0.94) tended not to use. With respect to physical activity of COPD patients, 198 (175 male and 23 female) of them (77%) participated in physical activities on at least weekly basis, but only 22% and 4% engaged in moderate and vigorous activities, respectively. Over 2/3 of them walked at least weekly. Regression analysis showed that perceived life-long physical activity involvement appeared to be positively associated with total physical activity, whereas patients with very severe COPD tended to have significantly lower total physical activity levels. / Besides COPD severity, both age and smoking exhibited a negative impact on walking. It is evident that walking activities decreased among very severe patients, current smokers and those in advanced age. The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 12.6% (10% for men and 32% for women). The most common occurrence of urine loss was before reaching the toilet (54%) followed by coughing/sneezing (23%). While urge incontinence was reported viii by 63% of male incontinent patients, 82% of female incontinent patients experienced stress incontinence. Incontinence was more likely among female patients (OR = 8.7, 95% CI 3.2-23.4) and older patients over 70 years (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.0-5.2). COPD severity was also found to be a significant factor (p = 0.007), with very severe patients at slightly higher risk of urinary incontinence (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 0.3-3.5) than mild COPD patients, though the relationship appeared not to be linear across the severity classifications. It is alarming to find mild and moderate COPD patients continue to smoke. The implementation of a co-ordinated tobacco control program immediately post diagnosis is needed for the effective pulmonary rehabilitation of COPD patients. The high alcohol consumption by COPD patients is also alarming. Alcohol control programs targeting male patients should be promoted during pulmonary rehabilitation in order to minimise the harm due to excessive drinking. Dietary supplements are popular for patients with COPD especially among older patients. / The findings are important to clinical trials and experimental interventions advocating nutritional supplementation therapy for pulmonary rehabilitation. Patients with COPD had lower physical activity levels than the general elderly population. Older patients with very severe COPD and those who currently smoke should be targeted for intervention and encouraged to increase their participation in physical activity so as to maintain their health and well being. The high prevalence yet underreporting of urinary incontinence suggested that education and regular assessment are needed after COPD diagnosis. Appropriate exercise and treatment tailored for the specific type of incontinence incurred should be incorporated within the rehabilitation program of COPD patients. To maintain a healthy lifestyle and to achieve optimal outcomes during the pulmonary rehabilitation of COPD patients, the identified factors should be taken into consideration and health awareness programs should be promoted in conjunction with respiratory physicians and allied health professionals.

The primary aim of this thesis was to develop a better understanding of the physiology and perceptual responses associated with the performance of continuous (CE) and intermittent exercise (IE) in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A secondary aim was to examine factors that could potentially limit exercise tolerance in COPD patients, particularly in relation to the dynamics of the cardiovascular system and muscle metabolism. The results of the four studies conducted to achieve these aims are presented in this thesis. In Study 1, the physiological, metabolic and perceptual responses to an acute bout of IE and CE were examined in 10 individuals with moderate COPD. Each subject completed an incremental exercise test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer. Subjects then performed IE (1 min exercise: 1 min rest ratio) and CE tests at 70% of peak power in random order on separate days. Gas exchange, heart rate, plasma lactate concentration, ratings of breathlessness, inspiratory capacity and the total amount of work completed were measured during each exercise test. Subjects were able to complete a significantly greater amount of work during IE (71 ± 32 kJ) compared with CE (31 ± 24 kJ). Intermittent exercise was associated with significantly lower values for oxygen uptake, expired ventilation and plasma lactate concentration when compared with CE. Subjects also reported a significantly lower rating of breathlessness during IE compared to CE. The degree of dynamic lung hyperinflation (change in end-expiratory lung volume) was lower during IE (0.23 ± 0.07 L) than during CE (0.52 ± 0.13 L). The results suggest that IE may be superior to CE as a mode of training for patients with COPD. The greater amount of total work performed and the lower measured physiological responses attained with intermittent exercise could potentially allow greater training adaptations to be achieved in individuals with more limited lung function. The purpose of Study 2 was to compare the adaptations to 8 wk of supervised intermittent and continuous cycle ergometry training, performed at the same relative intensity and matched for total work completed, in patients with COPD. Nineteen subjects with moderate COPD were stratified according to age, gender, and pulmonary function, and then randomly assigned to either an IE (1 min exercise: 1 min rest ratio) or CE training group. Subjects trained 3 d per week for 8 wk and completed 30 min of exercise. Initial training intensity, i.e., the power output applied during the CE bouts and during the exercise interval of the IE bouts, was determined as 50% of the peak power output achieved during incremental exercise and was increased by 5% each week after 2 wk of training. The total amount of work performed was not significantly different (P=0.74) between the CE (750 ± 90 kJ) and IE (707 ± 92 kJ) groups. The subjects who performed IE (N=9) experienced significantly lower levels of perceived breathlessness and lower limb fatigue during the exercise-training bouts than the group who performed CE (N=10). However, exercise capacity (peak oxygen uptake) and exercise tolerance (peak power output and 6-min walk distance) improved to a similar extent in both training groups. During submaximal constant-load exercise, the improved (faster) phase II oxygen uptake kinetic response with training was independent of exercise mode. Furthermore, training-induced reductions in submaximal exercise heart rate, carbon dioxide output, expired ventilation and blood lactate concentrations were not different between the two training modes. Exercise training also resulted in an equivalent reduction for both training modes in the degree of dynamic hyperinflation observed during incremental exercise. Thus, when total work performed and relative intensity were the same for both training modes, 8 wk of CE or IE training resulted in similar functional improvements and physiological adaptations in patients with moderate COPD. Study 3 examined the relationship between exercise capacity (peak oxygen uptake) and lower limb vasodilatory capacity in 9 patients with moderate COPD and 9 healthy age-matched control subjects. While peak oxygen uptake was significantly lower in the COPD patients (15.8 ± 3.5 mL·min-1·kg-1) compared to the control subjects (25.2 ± 3.5 mL·kg-1·min-1), there were no significant differences between groups in peak calf blood flow or peak calf conductance measured 7 s post-ischemia. Peak oxygen uptake was significantly correlated with peak calf blood flow and peak conductance in the control group, whereas there was no significant relationship found between these variables in the COPD group. However, the rate of decay in blood flow following ischemia was significantly slower (p less than 0.05) for the COPD group (-0.036 ± 0.005 mL·100 mL-1·min-1·s-1) when compared to the control group (-0.048 ± 0.015 mL·100 mL-1·min-1·s-1). The results of this study suggest that the lower peak exercise capacity in patients with moderate COPD is not related to a loss in leg vasodilatory capacity. Study 4 examined the dynamics of oxygen uptake kinetics during high-intensity constant-load cycling performed at 70% of the peak power attained during an incremental exercise test in 7 patients with moderate COPD and 7 healthy age-matched controls. The time constant of the primary component (phase II) of oxygen uptake was significantly slower in the COPD patients (82 ± 8 s) when compared to healthy control subjects (44 ± 4 s). Moreover, the oxygen cost per unit increment in power output for the primary component and the overall response were significantly higher in patients with COPD than in healthy control subjects. A slow component was observed in 5 of the 7 patients with COPD (49 ± 11 mL·min-1), whereas all of the control subjects demonstrated a slow component of oxygen uptake (213 ± 35 mL·min-1). The slow component comprised a significantly greater proportion of the total oxygen uptake response in the healthy control group (18 ± 2%) than in the COPD group (10 ± 2%). In the COPD patients, the slow component amplitude was significantly correlated with the decrease in inspiratory capacity (r = -0.88, P less than 0.05; N=5), indicating that the magnitude of the slow component was larger in individuals who experienced a greater degree of dynamic hyperinflation. This study demonstrated that most patients with moderate COPD are able to exercise at intensities high enough to elicit a slow component of oxygen uptake during constant-load exercise. The significant correlation observed between the slow component amplitude and the degree of dynamic hyperinflation suggests that the work of breathing may contribute to the slow component in patients with COPD.

<p>The overall aims of the studies were to investigate the effects of different training modalities on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with moderate or severe COPD and, further, to explore two of the physical tests used in pulmonary rehabilitation.</p><p>In <b>study I</b>, the 12-minute walking distance (12MWD) did not increase on retesting in patients with exercise-induced hypoxemia (EIH) whereas 12MWD increased significantly on retesting in the non-EIH patients. In <b>study II</b>, we found that the incremental shuttle walking test was as good a predictor of peak exercise capacity (W peak) as peak oxygen uptake (VO₂ peak) is. In <b>study III</b>, we investigated the effects of two different combination training programmes when training twice a week for eight weeks. One programme was mainly based on endurance training (group A) and the other on resistance training and callisthenics (group B). W peak and 12MWD increased in group A but not in group B. HRQoL, anxiety and depression were unchanged in both groups. Ratings of perceived exertion at rest were significantly lower in group A than in group B after training and during 12 months of follow-up. Twelve months post-training, 12MWD was back to baseline in group A, but significantly shorter than at baseline in group B. Thus, a short endurance training intervention delayed decline in 12MWD for at least one year. Patients with moderate and severe COPD responded to training in the same way. In <b>study IV</b>, both interval and continuous endurance training increased W peak, VO₂ peak, peak exhaled carbon dioxide (VCO₂ peak) and 12MWD. Likewise, HRQoL, dyspnoea during activities of daily life, anxiety and depression improved similarly in both groups. At a fixed, submaximal workload (isotime), the interval training reduced oxygen cost and ventilatory demand significantly more than the continuous training did.</p>

Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) or home mechanical ventilation (HMV) can improve survival time in chronic respiratory failure. A national quality register could be an aid to identifying risk markers and optimizing therapy for respiratory failure. Aims: ▪To identify risk markers for chronic respiratory failure, especially when triggered by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). ▪To predict sex-related differences in the future need of LTOT for COPD and to study sex related survival rate in COPD patients starting LTOT. ▪To investigate if HMV is more effective than LTOT alone in treating chronic respiratory failure caused by kyphoscoliosis. ▪To evaluate the use of quality indicators in LTOT. Methods: Swedish national registers for LTOT and HMV were established in 1987 and 1996 respectively. They were reconstructed in 2004 to form the web-based register Swedevox. Indications for LTOT were based on the guidelines from the Swedish Society for Respiratory Medicine. The incidence and prevalence of LTOT for COPD were measured annually from 1987 to 2000, and the future need for LTOT was estimated on the basis of the frequency of ever smoking in Sweden in 2001 in different age groups. A postal questionnaire on occupational exposures was completed by 181 patients with severe pulmonary fibrosis who started LTOT between 1997 and 2000, and by 757 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. Time to death was evaluated in kyphoscoliotic patients starting HMV or LTOT alone in 1996-2004. Ten quality indicators were defined and evaluated based on data from patients starting LTOT in 1987-2005. Results: The incidence each year of LTOT in COPD patients increased more rapidly in women than in men (from 2.0 and 2.8/100,000 in 1987 to 7.6 and 7.1/100,000 in 2000 respectively, (p < 0.001)). Women ran a 1.9 times higher risk than men to develop chronic hypoxemia from COPD and had a higher survival rate during LTOT. In men, IPF was associated with exposure to birch dust with an OR 2.7, (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30–5.65) and with hardwood dust, OR 2.7 (95% CI 1.14–6.52). Patients with kyphoscoliosis showed a better survival rate with HMV than with LTOT alone with a hazard ratio of 0.30 (95%CI 0.18-0.51), adjusted for age, sex, concomitant respiratory diseases, and blood gas levels. There were improvements in the following eight quality indicators for LTOT: access to LTOT, PaO2 ≤ 7.3 kPa without oxygen, no current smoking, low number of thoracic deformity patients without concomitant HMV, LTOT > 16 hours of oxygen/day, mobile oxygen equipment, reassessment of hypoxemia when LTOT was not started in a stable state COPD, and avoidance of continuous oral steroids in COPD. There was a decline in the indicator PaO2 > 8 kPa on oxygen. First-year survival rate in COPD was unchanged. Conclusions: The incidence and prevalence of LTOT increase more rapidly in women than in men. Survival rate during LTOT in COPD is better in women than in men. Exposure to birch and hardwood dust may contribute to the risk of IPF in men. Survival rate in patients with kyphoscoliosis was three times better with HMV than with LTOT alone. The national quality register for LTOT showed improvements in eight out of ten quality indicators. Levels for excellent quality in the indicators are suggested.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, places a substantial burden of disability on the growing number of patients and causes large costs for the society. Tobacco smoke is the most important risk factor. Progressive exertional dyspnea is the major symptom which leads to diminished physical and social activities, reduced physical capacity and decreased health related quality of life, HRQoL. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate different physical training modalities in patients with COPD with regard to physical capacity and HRQoL. Patients with moderate to severe COPD were included in the studies. In the first intervention, 20 patients trained on a treadmill with or without supplemental oxygen, three times per week, during eight weeks. In the second intervention, 30 patients were randomised to high-intensity group training either in water or on land, and 13 patients were included in a control group. The patients in the water and land groups trained three times per week during three months and once a week during the following six months. Oxygen supplementation during physical training did not enlarge the positive effects of the same training with air in patients with exercise-induced hypoxaemia. Both groups improved the distance walked after training. High-intensity group training in water and on land was found to be effective with regard to walking distance and HRQoL compared to the control group. Training in water seemed to be of greater benefit compared to training on land concerning walking distance and experienced physical health when the training was accomplished three times per week. The thigh muscle strength increased after training in both the water and the land group. The muscle endurance in knee extension was low in the majority of the patients and was not improved after the training intervention. An evaluation of the long-term effects of physical group training and the effects of decreased training frequency showed that training with low frequency (once a week) during six months did not seem to be sufficient to maintain the level achieved after a three months period of higher frequency training (three times per week). However, the two periods combined seemed to prevent decline in physical capacity and HRQoL compared to baseline. The conclusion is that physical training is of benefit for patients with COPD with regard to physical capacity and HRQoL. Training can be performed individually or in groups, with high intensity, in water and on land. It is also concluded that the training can, under controlled conditions, be performed without supplemental oxygen even in patients with exercise-induced hypoxaemia.

The overall aim of this thesis was to describe subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from different perspectives. Focus was on patients at the time of diagnosis, impact of the disease in comparison to other chronic diseases, factors associated with good health and quality of life (QoL), and diagnostic spirometry in clinical practice. Methods: Qualitative method, grounded theory, was used to analyse patients´ perspectives at the time of diagnosis in a primary care setting (n=10). Public health surveys in the general population were used to compare chronic diseases (n=10,755) and analyse factors associated with health outcomes in COPD (n=1,475). Medical records and spirometry reports, from primary and secondary care, were analysed to assess diagnosis of COPD in clinical practice (n=533). Results: In clinical practice, 70% of patients at the time of diagnosis of COPD lacked spirometry results confirming the diagnosis. Factors related to consequences of smoking, shame and restrictions in physical activity (PA) in particular, were described by patients at the time of diagnosis of COPD. In general subjects with COPD (84%), rheumatoid arthritis (74%) and diabetes mellitus (72%) had an activity level considered too low to maintain good health. In COPD, the most important factor associated with good health and quality of life was a high level of PA. Odds ratios (OR (95%CI)) varied from 1.90 (1.47-2.44) to 7.57 (4.57-12.55) depending on the degree of PA, where subjects with the highest PA level had the best health and QoL. Conclusions: Subjects with COPD need to be diagnosed at an early stage, and health professionals should be aware that feelings of shame could delay patients from seeking care and thus obtaining a diagnosis. The use of spirometry and the diagnostic quality should be emphasised. In patients with COPD greater attention should be directed on increasing the physical activity level, as patients with a low level of physical activity display worse health and quality of life.

The Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) Studies started in 1985 as an epidemiological project with the aim to detect preventable risk factors for obstructive lung diseases and allergy. In recent years there has been a focus also on obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) besides asthma and allergy. The aim of this thesis was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of COPD, risk factors for COPD, and decline in lung function in relation to COPD. The OLIN cohort I (cI) was recruited in 1985/86 and consisted of all 6610 subjects born 1919-20, 1934-35 and 1949-50 in eight geographical areas of Norrbotten. A postal questionnaire survey was performed in 1985/86, 1992 and in 1996. All subjects reporting respiratory symptoms at the questionnaire in 1985/86 were invited to examination in 1986, 1996 and 2002-03. A random sample of 1500 subjects from the participants at the 1996 postal questionnaire survey was invited to examination in 1996 and 2003. The participation rate has been high, ≥85%. The OLIN cohort III (cIII) was recruited in 1992, a postal questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 5681 subjects aged 20-69 years. In 1994/95 a random sample of 970 subjects were invited to examination of whom 666 participated. The prevalence of COPD in the general population sample (cIII) in ages &lt;45 was 4.1%, 11.6%, 9.1%, and 5.1% according to the criteria of BTS1 , ERS2 , GOLD3 , and ATS4 respectively. The corresponding figures in ages ≥45 were 9.7%, 15.4%, 17.1%, and 16.5% respectively. In the age-stratified general population sample (&gt;45 y, cI), the prevalence was 8.1% and 14.3% according to the BTS and GOLD criteria. The prevalence was strongly associated with higher age and smoking but not gender. The prevalence among smokers 76-77 years old was 45% and 50% (BTS and GOLD criteria). A majority of subjects with COPD had respiratory symptoms (in prevalent BTS 94%), most commonly cough and sputum production. Nearly a half of the subjects with COPD had contacted health care due to respiratory complaints other than common colds, but only a minority reported a physician diagnosis relevant for COPD (16% of prevalent COPD according to BTS in cIII, 31% in cI). The 10-year cumulative incidence of COPD (1986-1996) was estimated at 8.2% (BTS) and 13.5% (GOLD) in the symptomatics of cI, associated with higher age and smoking but not gender. Persistent smoking, male gender and reported chronic productive cough were associated with a faster decline in FEV1. Among incident cases of COPD a large proportion (23% of incident BTS) had a rapid decline in FEV1, &gt;90 ml/year, corresponding to a decrease of 28 percent-units of normal value during ten years.The 7-year cumulative incidence of COPD in the random sample of cI (1996-2003) was estimated at 4.9% and 11.0% (NICE guidelines5 and GOLD) and associated with smoking but not gender. The incidence according to GOLD, but not NICE, was associated with increasing age. In multi-variate analysis most respiratory symptoms were markers of increased risk for developing COPD. In conclusion, the prevalence and the incidence of COPD were associated with age and smoking and affected by the use of different spirometric criteria. Respiratory symptoms marked an increased risk for developing COPD. A high proportion of subjects developing COPD had a rapid decline in lung function. Further, there was a substantial underdiagnosis of COPD. 1 British Thoracic Society: FEV1/VC&lt;0.70 &amp; FEV1&lt;80%predicted (pred), 2 European Respiratory Society: FEV1/VC&lt;88%pred in men, &lt;89%pred in women, 3 Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease:FEV1/FVC&lt;0.70, 4 American Thoracic Society: FEV1/FVC&lt;0.75 + symptoms or physician diagnosis, 5 The British National Institute for Clinical Excellence: FEV1/FVC&lt;0.70 &amp; FEV1&lt;80%pred.

The overall aims of the studies were to investigate the effects of different training modalities on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with moderate or severe COPD and, further, to explore two of the physical tests used in pulmonary rehabilitation. In study I, the 12-minute walking distance (12MWD) did not increase on retesting in patients with exercise-induced hypoxemia (EIH) whereas 12MWD increased significantly on retesting in the non-EIH patients. In study II, we found that the incremental shuttle walking test was as good a predictor of peak exercise capacity (W peak) as peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) is. In study III, we investigated the effects of two different combination training programmes when training twice a week for eight weeks. One programme was mainly based on endurance training (group A) and the other on resistance training and callisthenics (group B). W peak and 12MWD increased in group A but not in group B. HRQoL, anxiety and depression were unchanged in both groups. Ratings of perceived exertion at rest were significantly lower in group A than in group B after training and during 12 months of follow-up. Twelve months post-training, 12MWD was back to baseline in group A, but significantly shorter than at baseline in group B. Thus, a short endurance training intervention delayed decline in 12MWD for at least one year. Patients with moderate and severe COPD responded to training in the same way. In study IV, both interval and continuous endurance training increased W peak, VO2 peak, peak exhaled carbon dioxide (VCO2 peak) and 12MWD. Likewise, HRQoL, dyspnoea during activities of daily life, anxiety and depression improved similarly in both groups. At a fixed, submaximal workload (isotime), the interval training reduced oxygen cost and ventilatory demand significantly more than the continuous training did.

The overall aim of this thesis was to explore informal caregivers’ daily life with particular focus on those living with a spouse who has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in different grades, mild to severe, based on the ill person’s main concern. The study design was explorative, comparative and descriptive. The thesis included a literature review of 45 scientific articles and semi-structured interviews with 23 patients suffering from COPD, and 21 women and 19 men living with a spouse suffering from COPD. Data were analysed using content analysis, grounded theory, and phenomenography. Main findings: Men and women living with a spouse suffering from mild COPD did not experience changes in their daily life, and were not in need of support. It was when the COPD gradually escalated that their daily life was affected and they needed support. The caregiving women conceived that their daily life was socially restricted, they had changed roles, changes in health and changes in the couple’s relationship. The caregiving men’s daily life was conceived as burdened, restricted and the partner relationship was affected. The men’s attitude was to continue with their own life and own activities, and their approach to their caregiving situation was to view themselves as “Me and my spouse”. The main concern for people suffering from COPD was feelings of guilt due to self-inflicted disease associated with smoking habits. The thesis shows that there are differences in informal caregiving between males and females. Conclusion: This thesis shows that there are differences in male and female caregiving for a spouse suffering from COPD. The caregivers conceive and handle the caregiving situation in different ways. It is central that health professionals and municipality consider this along with the individual needs that are related to the development of the COPD. There is a need to identify the person who suffers from COPD and their spouses from the first contact onwards, to regularly follow the development of their situation and need of support.

Kroniskt obstruktiv lungsjukdom är en underdiagnostiserad sjukdom som drabbar allt fler individer. Sjukdomen förekommer främst bland rökare men även icke-rökare kan drabbas. De mest förekommande symtomen vid kroniskt obstruktiv lungsjukdom är andfåddhet och andnöd. Symtomen påverkar varandra och kan ge upphov till en känsla av ångest hos patienterna. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa upplevelsen av att leva med kroniskt obstruktiv lungsjukdom med fokus på ångestsymtom. Studien genomfördes som en litteraturstudie innehållande 13 kvalitativa och kvantitativa artiklar. Andningssvårigheter beskrevs som den största faktorn bakom ångest vilket i sin tur påverkade patientens fysiska och psykiska välmående. Ångest i kombination med ett begränsat andningsflöde bidrog till att patienterna upplevde en känsla av att kvävas. Andningen beskrevs som fruktansvärd och patienterna jämförde tillståndet som att andas genom ett sugrör. Många patienter avvaktade kontakt med sjukvård i hopp om att symtomen spontant skulle avta. När symtomen förvärrats och kontakt initierades ansågs sjukvårdskontakten ändå vara betydelsefull för patienterna. Studien kan bidra med viktig information vid vård av patienter med kroniskt obstruktiv lungsjukdom. Studien kan också ge värdefull information till den fortsatta forskningen kring sjukdomens symtom. / Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease is an underdiagnosed disease that today affects more and more individuals. The disease appears mainly with smokers but non-smokers can be affected too. The most occurring symptoms at chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are breathlessness and shortness of breath. The symptoms affect one another and can create a feeling of anxiety. The aim of the study was to illuminate the experience of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with focus on the symptom anxiety. The study was conducted as a literature review containing 13 qualitative and quantitative articles. Difficulties to breathe were described as one of the biggest reasons behind anxiety which affected both the physical and psychological well-being of the patients. The limited airflow and symptoms of anxiety involved a feeling of one being suffocated. The breathing was described as a dreadful situation and the patients compared the condition to breathing through a straw. Many of the patients chose to postpone the contact with medical care thinking that the symptoms would moderate. When the symptoms accelerated medical care yet seemed important for the patients. The study can contribute with meaningful information to the care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study can also give valuable input to further research studies, especially on patients’ view on health related quality of life related to the symptoms of the disease.