GOLD and ABCD—a good start, but now for the evidence?

Investigating sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of the Clinical COPD Questionnaire, COPD Assessment Test, and Modified Medical Research Council scale according to GOLD using St George's Respiratory Questionnaire cutoff 25 (and 20) as reference

BACKGROUND

In the GOLD (Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) strategy document, the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), or modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale are recommended for the assessment of symptoms using the cutoff points of CCQ ≥1, CAT ≥10, and mMRC scale ≥2 to indicate symptomatic patients. The current study investigates the criterion validity of the CCQ, CAT and mMRC scale based on a reference cutoff point of St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) ≥25, as suggested by GOLD, following sensitivity and specificity analysis. In addition, areas under the curve (AUCs) of the CCQ, CAT, and mMRC scale were compared using two SGRQ cutoff points (≥25 and ≥20).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two data sets were used: study A, 238 patients from a pulmonary rehabilitation program; and study B, 101 patients from primary care. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the correspondence between the recommended cutoff points of the questionnaires.

RESULTS

Sensitivity, specificity, and AUC scores for cutoff point SGRQ ≥25 were: study A, 0.99, 0.43, and 0.96 for CCQ ≥1, 0.92, 0.48, and 0.89 for CAT ≥10, and 0.68, 0.91, and 0.91 for mMRC ≥2; study B, 0.87, 0.77, and 0.9 for CCQ ≥1, 0.76, 0.73, and 0.82 for CAT ≥10, and 0.21, 1, and 0.81 for mMRC ≥2. Sensitivity, specificity, and AUC scores for cutoff point SGRQ ≥20 were: study A, 0.99, 0.73, and 0.99 for CCQ ≥1, 0.91, 0.73, and 0.94 for CAT ≥10, and 0.66, 0.95, and 0.94 for mMRC ≥2; study B, 0.8, 0.89, and 0.89 for CCQ ≥1, 0.69, 0.78, and 0.8 for CAT ≥10, and 0.18, 1, and 0.81 for mMRC ≥2.

CONCLUSION

Based on data from these two different samples, this study showed that the suggested cutoff point for the SGRQ (≥25) did not seem to correspond well with the established cutoff points of the CCQ or CAT scales, resulting in low specificity levels. The correspondence with the mMRC scale seemed satisfactory, though not optimal. The SGRQ threshold of ≥20 corresponded slightly better than SGRQ ≥25, recently suggested by GOLD 2015, with the established cutoff points for the CCQ, CAT, and mMRC scale.

The impact of treatment with indacaterol in patients with COPD: A post-hoc analysis according to GOLD 2011 categories A to D

BACKGROUND

Indacaterol is an inhaled, once-daily, ultra-long-acting β2-agonist for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We report on the effectiveness of indacaterol and other bronchodilators compared with placebo in patients across the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2011 categories A to D.

METHODS

A post-hoc, subgroup pooled analysis of 6-month efficacy data from three randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group studies involving 3862 patients was performed across GOLD 2011 categories A to D, according to baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) % predicted, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and exacerbation history in the 12 months prior to entry. Efficacy of once-daily indacaterol 150 and 300 μg, open-label tiotropium 18 μg, twice-daily salmeterol 50 μg, and formoterol 12 μg was compared with placebo. End points analysed were trough FEV1, transition dyspnea index (TDI), and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score, all at Week 26, and mean rescue medication use over 26 weeks.

RESULTS

Indacaterol 150 and 300 μg significantly improved FEV1, compared with placebo across all GOLD groups. Indacaterol 150 and 300 μg also significantly improved TDI, SGRQ total score, and mean rescue medication use compared with placebo across most GOLD subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment selection according to patient's symptoms as well as lung function is an important consideration in maintenance treatment of COPD. Indacaterol 150 and 300 μg effectively improved lung function and symptoms in patients across all GOLD 2011 categories.

The Prospective Non-Interventional DACCORD Study in the National COPD Registry in Germany: design and methods

Background

A variety of large randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) evaluating pharmacotherapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients does exist. One of the drugs that has been tested is the new long-acting anticholinergic glycopyrronium bromide.

Methods

As the generalizability of results from RCT’s is questionable we designed a longitudinal, prospective non-interventional study (DACCORD) of two years duration plus two years extension with at least 6000 participants in approximately 500 primary and secondary care practices in Germany (within the new established COPD National Prospective Registry), to assess patient reported outcomes (PRO’s), lung function, adherence and drug safety. To circumvent the hurdle of inappropriate COPD diagnosis in a non-interventional trial, patients have to fulfill the inclusion criteria of the COPD disease management program (DMP) of the German statutory health insurances. Patient management should follow the German national COPD guidelines, which are based on Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2007 (GOLD) report. Labels of prescribed drugs should also be taken into account. Patients received treatment as part of their standard care: at the discretion of the investigator patients were included in one of two arms. A: standard care with glycopyrronium containing regimen, and arm B: standard care without glycopyrronium.

Discussion

For 2016 we expect important results regarding longitudinal development of PRO’s including exacerbations, lung function, adherence and side effects. We also investigate applicability of the new GOLD staging system in usual care. Data on diagnostic and treatment modalities in current German primary and secondary care, as well as pharmaco-economic data will be generated.

Trial registration

1. German Register for non-interventional studies: http://www.vfa.de/de/arzneimittel-forschung/datenbanken-zu-arzneimitteln/nisdb.

2. EMA EnCePP http://www.encepp.eu/.

Are GOLD ABCD groups better associated with health status and costs than GOLD 1234 grades? A cross-sectional study

Aims:

To investigate the association of the GOLD ABCD groups classification with costs and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and to compare this with the GOLD 1234 grades classification that was primarily based on lung function only.

Methods:

In a cross-sectional study, we selected patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from electronic medical records of general practices. Multi-level analysis was used with costs (medication, primary care, healthcare, societal), disease-specific and generic HR-QoL as independent variables. Either the new or the old GOLD stages were included in the analysis together with several covariates (age, gender, living situation, co-morbidity, self-efficacy, smoking, education, employment).

Results:

611 patients from 28 general practices were categorised as GOLD-A (n=333), GOLD-B (n=110), GOLD-C (n=80) and GOLD-D (n=88). Patients in the GOLD-B and GOLD-D groups had the highest prevalence of co-morbidities and the lowest level of physical activity, self-efficacy, and employment. The models with GOLD ABCD groups were more strongly related to and explained more variance in costs and in disease-specific and generic HR-QoL than the models with GOLD 1234 grades. The mean Clinical COPD Questionnaire score worsened significantly, with scores 1.04 (GOLD-B), 0.4 (GOLD-C) and 1.21 (GOLD-D) worse than for patients in GOLD-A. Healthcare costs per patient were significantly higher in GOLD-B (72%), GOLD-C (74%) and GOLD-D (131%) patients than in GOLD-A patients.

Conclusions:

The GOLD ABCD groups classification is more closely associated with costs and HR-QoL than the GOLD 1234 grades classification. Furthermore, patients with GOLD-C had a better HR-QoL than those with GOLD-B but the costs of the two groups did not differ.