Pain and quality of life with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Pain as a symptom may be underrecognized in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence and intensity of pain, its location, how demographic and clinical variables may be related to pain, and how pain is associated with quality of life (QOL). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 154 patients with COPD answered the Brief Pain Inventory, Respiratory Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Quality of Life Scale, and performed spirometry. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of the patients indicated the location of pain on a body diagram. Lower lung function, higher score of pain intensity, and pain interference were associated with lower disease QOL. A higher score of pain interference was associated with lower global QOL. When controlling for disease QOL in the equation of global QOL, pain interference was no longer significant. CONCLUSION: The experience of pain is related to disease QOL in patients with COPD.