Most Italians attending a congress on health of elderly people do not know and do not recognize respiratory diseases

Table 5 Predictive symptoms of respiratory disease in relation to the presence of obstructive defect at spirometry

Symptoms of respiratory disease	Percentage of subjects answering yes to the question		p
Symptoms of respiratory disease	FEV₁/FVC < 70 or < LLN	Normal spirometry results	p
Do you cough frequently?	N = 108	N = 687	0.008
Do you cough frequently?	34 (31.5 %)	139 (20.2 %)	0.008
Do you frequently have sputum production with cough?	N = 113	N = 688	0.002
Do you frequently have sputum production with cough?	54 (47.8 %)	226 (32.8 %)	0.002
Do you complain of dyspnea under mild efforts?	N = 113	N = 694	0.368
Do you complain of dyspnea under mild efforts?	43 (38.1 %)	234 (33.7 %)	0.368
During physical activity do you have more shortness of breath than your companions of the same age?	N = 109	N = 654	0.177
	46 (42.2 %)	232 (35.5 %)	0.177
Do you perceive noises in your chest when you breathe under effort?	N = 115	N = 676	0.029
	28 (20.9 %)	89 (13.2 %)	0.029
Do you perceive noises in your chest when you breathe at night?	N = 92	N = 506	<0.001
	21 (22.8 %)	48 (9.5 %)	<0.001
Do you frequently catch a cold lasting more than that of other people you know?	N = 114	N = 696	0.065
	34 (29.8 %)	153 (22.0 %)	0.065

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