COPD and Dysphagia - a 2-year follow up from the TIE-study

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Limited data are available to inform on long term swallowing function in COPD. Our aim was to investigate the stability of patient-reported dysphagia over a 2-year period in a COPD cohort recruited from the Swedish multicenter TIE-study. Data from one site has previously been reported at ERS 2022. <bold>Methods:</bold> Subjects with spirometry-verified COPD were included. Data from baseline and a 2-year follow up were analyzed. Demographic, anthropometric and spirometric data and the following questionnaires: COPD Assessment TEST (CAT), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) were included. Three dysphagia symptoms were assessed: coughing while swallowing, food/drink goes down the wrong way, food sticks in the throat. Dysphagia was defined as any of these symptoms. <bold>Results:</bold> A total of 438 subjects attended the 2-year follow up (56% females), mean age 68.6 (SD 7.7), FEV1 57.3 (SD 17.2) of % predicted. Dysphagia was experienced by 33.7% at baseline and 35.0% after 2 years (p=0.435). The majority of subjects with dysphagia had persistent symptoms. Only 5% started reporting dysphagia and 4% stopped reporting dysphagia. COPD subjects with dysphagia had a higher BMI consistently. Participants with dysphagia reported higher CAT and mMRC scores both at baseline (CAT 15.0 vs 10.2 and mMRC 2.0 vs 1.4; p<0.001) and at a 2-year follow up (CAT 15.9 vs 10.8 and mMRC 2.2 vs 1.6; p<0.001). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> After 2 years, the prevalence of patient-reported swallowing symptoms (dysphagia) in our cohort of COPD subjects was stable. COPD subjects with dysphagia experienced lower health status (CAT) and a higher degree of dyspnea both at inclusion and after 2 years.