Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Noshirwan P. Gazder; Ashok Kumar; Faria Masood; Rawesha Hablani; Shayan Saleemi

2026, Vol: 51, Issue: 4

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Original Research
Online Published: 31 Aug 2026

RMJ. 2026; 51(4): 953-956

Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Noshirwan P. Gazder, Ashok Kumar, Faria Masood, Rawesha Hablani, Shayan Saleemi.

Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the impact of comorbidity burden on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methodology: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pulmonology, Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from 2025 to March 2026. A total of 160 patients diagnosed with COPD and classified as GOLD III or IV were included. A consecutive sampling technique was employed. HRQoL and symptom burden were assessed using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and EQ-5D-5L instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 26.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 67.5±8.5 years, with 88 (55%) males and 72 (45%) females. The mean CAT score was 22.7±8.1, EQ-5D-5L index was 0.52±0.31, and EQ-5D VAS was 53.7±22.4. A significant difference in HRQoL and symptom severity was observed across comorbidity burden groups (p<0.05). Diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular accident, obesity, and malignancy had a significant association with worse HRQoL. An increasing number of comorbidities showed a significant positive correlation with CAT score and a negative correlation with EQ-5D-5L index and EQ-5D VAS (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Increasing comorbidity burden is significantly associated with increased symptom severity and reduced HRQoL in patients with severe COPD. The impact of comorbidities was more pronounced on overall quality of life than on respiratory symptoms alone.

Key words: Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive, comorbidity, quality of life.

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How to Cite this Article

Pubmed Style

Gazder NP, Kumar A, Masood F, Hablani R, Saleemi S. Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. RMJ. 2026; 51(4): 953-956.

Web Style

Gazder NP, Kumar A, Masood F, Hablani R, Saleemi S. Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. https://www.rmj.org.pk/?mno=317777 [Access: November 11, 2026].

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Gazder NP, Kumar A, Masood F, Hablani R, Saleemi S. Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. RMJ. 2026; 51(4): 953-956.

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Harvard Style

Gazder, N. P., Kumar, . A., Masood, . F., Hablani, . R. & Saleemi, . S. (2026) Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. RMJ, 51 (4), 953-956.

Turabian Style

Gazder, Noshirwan P., Ashok Kumar, Faria Masood, Rawesha Hablani, and Shayan Saleemi. 2026. Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Rawal Medical Journal, 51 (4), 953-956.

Chicago Style

Gazder, Noshirwan P., Ashok Kumar, Faria Masood, Rawesha Hablani, and Shayan Saleemi. "Health-related quality of life among patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan." Rawal Medical Journal 51 (2026), 953-956.

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