Cluster analysis in 975 patients with current cough identifies a phenotype with several cough triggers, many background disorders, and low quality of life.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recognition of disorder phenotypes may help to estimate prognosis and to guide the clinical management. Current cough management guidelines classify patients according to the duration of the cough episode. However, this classification is not based on phenotype analyses. The present study aimed to identify cough phenotypes by clustering.

Methods

An email survey among employed, working-age subjects identified 975 patients with current cough. All filled in a comprehensive 80-item questionnaire including the Leicester Cough Questionnaire. Phenotypes were identified utilizing K-means partitional clustering. A subgroup filled in a follow-up questionnaire 12 months later to investigate the possible differences in the prognosis between the phenotypes.

Results

Two c

SUBMITTER: Koskela HO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7441640 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature