Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment in Persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease of Ahmedabad City: An Observational Study

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable and treatable disease that is characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation that is due to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities usually caused by significant exposure to noxious particles or gases. Other than typical pulmonary pathology of COPD, there are several effects occurring outside the lungs that has been described as systemic effects of COPD or extrapulmonary effects of COPD like weight loss, decrease in muscle mass, strength and endurance, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, increased cardiovascular risk, etc. Cognition is an act or process of knowing, including awareness, reasoning, judgement, intuition and memory. Aim: The aim of the study is to find the prevalence of cognitive impairments in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methodology: One hundred eighty-eight (n=188) subjects participated in the study. Data was collected by the means of English and Hindi translation of MoCA questionnaire. Result: The overall prevalence of cognitive impairment in COPD was 73.93 %. Conclusion: It could be concluded from the study that the cognitive impairment is present in patients suffering with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.