Use of the Spirometric "Fixed-Ratio" Underdiagnoses COPD in African-Americans in a Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: COPD diagnosis is tightly linked to the fixed-ratio spirometry criteria of FEV/FVC < 0.7. African-Americans are less often diagnosed with COPD.

Objective: Compare COPD diagnosis by fixed-ratio with findings and outcomes by race.

Design: Genetic Epidemiology of COPD (COPDGene) (2007-present), cross-sectional comparing non-Hispanic white (NHW) and African-American (AA) participants for COPD diagnosis, manifestations, and outcomes.

Setting: Multicenter, longitudinal US cohort study.

Participants: Current or former smokers with ≥ 10-pack-year smoking history enrolled at 21 clinical centers including over-sampling of participants with known COPD and AA. Exclusions were pre-existing non-COPD lung disease, except for a history of asthma.

Measurements: Subject diagnosis by conventional criteria. Mortality, imaging, respiratory symptoms, function, and socioeconomic characteristics, including area deprivation index (ADI). Matched analysis (age, sex, and smoking status) of AA vs. NHW within participants without diagnosed COPD (GOLD 0; FEV ≥ 80% predicted and FEV/FVC ≥ 0.7).

Results: Using the fixed ratio, 70% of AA (n = 3366) were classified as non-COPD, versus 49% of NHW (n = 6766). AA smokers were younger (55 vs. 62 years), more often current smoking (80% vs. 39%), with fewer pack-years but similar 12-year mortality. Density distribution plots for FEV and FVC raw spirometry values showed disproportionate reductions in FVC relative to FEV in AA that systematically led to higher ratios. The matched analysis demonstrated GOLD 0 AA had greater symptoms, worse DCO, spirometry, BODE scores (1.03 vs 0.54, p < 0.0001), and greater deprivation than NHW.

Limitations: Lack of an alternative diagnostic metric for comparison.

Conclusions: The fixed-ratio spirometric criteria for COPD underdiagnosed potential COPD in AA participants when compared to broader diagnostic criteria. Disproportionate reductions in FVC relative to FEV leading to higher FEV/FVC were identified in these participants and associated with deprivation. Broader diagnostic criteria for COPD are needed to identify the disease across all populations.