3. RESULTS
A total of 71 patients with COPD of mean age 64.73 ± 8.16 years and 70 control subjects of mean age 63.07 ± 7.42 years were included in this study. The subjects included 91.5% (n = 65) men in the COPD group and 92.9% (n = 65) men in the control group (P = 0.772). The BMI of the subjects in both the groups were similar (P = 0.114). However, 26.8% (n = 19) of the patients with COPD were active smokers, while the corresponding rate was 12.9% (n = 9) in the control group. The COPD group patients smoked more than the control group subjects (P = 0.004). The COPD patients had lower 6-MWT scores and their pulmonary function test parameters were worse, but their mMRC, CAT, and BODE index scores were higher than those of the control subjects (P < 0.001). In the COPD group, 24 (43.8%) patients had a fall history in the past year, while 10 (24.3%) subjects in the control group had a fall history (P = 0.007). The patient characteristics are illustrated in Table 1.
Based on the balance tests, SLS revealed an balance impairment in 57 (80.3%) of the patients in the COPD group and in 35 (50%) of the subjects in the control group (P < 0.001). Significantly shorter times for standing on 1 leg were recorded for the COPD group than for the control group (P < 0.001). 5STS test results revealed that 66 (93%) of the patients with COPD and 35 (50%) of the control subjects had balance impairment (P< 0.001). The time for finishing the test was significantly longer for the patients with COPD than for the control subjects (P < 0.001). In FSST, balance impairment was detected in 49 (69%) patients with COPD and in 30 control subjects (42.9%) (P = 0.002). The time for finishing the test was significantly longer in the COPD group as compared to that in the control group (P = 0.001). In TUG test, balance impairment was detected in 38 (53.5%) and 23 (32.9%) of the patients with COPD and control subjects, respectively (P = 0.013). The time for the test was significantly longer in the COPD group (P= 0.007). The BBS test revealed that 32 (45.1%) and 19 (27.1%) of the patients with COPD and control subjects, respectively, suffered from balance problems (P = 0.027). The BBS scores were significantly lower in the COPD group (P = 0.003). The test results for COPD and control groups are depicted in Table 2.
Based on the weight of the participants, the SLS, FSST, TUG, and BBS tests detected more balance impairment in the Group C and D patients with COPD. However, no significant difference was noted in terms of the 5STS results (Table 3). The median values of the 5STS results of Group C and D patients with COPD were significantly longer than those of Group A and B patients (P < 0.001). Group C and D patients with COPD had more cases of falling in the last 1 year in comparison to Group A and B patients (P < 0.001) (Table 3).
BSS positively correlated with SLS but negatively correlated with 5STS, FSST, and TUG, however, FSST and TUG had the highest correlation with BBS (r = −0.812 and −0.842 and P <0.001 and <0.001, respectively) (Figure 1).
BBS and SLS results showed a negative correlation with age, CAT, mMRC, and BODE scores, but a positive correlation with FVC (L and %), FEV1 (L and %), FEV1/FVC, and 6-MWT results. The 5STS, FSST, and TUG test results showed a positive correlation with age, CAT, mMRC, and BODE scores, while correlation between the results of FVC (L and %), FEV1 (L and %), FEV1/FVC, and 6-MWT and the results of 5STS, FSST, and TUG results was negative (Table 4).