ABSTRACT
Exertional dyspnea is a frequent complaint that is commonly associated
with a cardiac or respiratory disease, but may also be due to obesity and deconditioning. As the prevalence of these conditions increases
with advancing age, dyspnea is an important cause of morbidity in the
elderly (1). In an attempt to minimize or to avoid the unpleasant experi-
ence of breathing difficulty, many older individuals reduce or even stop
certain physical activities (e.g., walking to the store; climbing stairs;
doing yard or house work). This ‘‘adaptation’’ contributes to the
downward spiral of deconditioning and eventually leads to more breath-
lessness. Studies of patients with chronic respiratory disease, many of
whom are elderly, have demonstrated the major impact that dyspnea
exerts on a person’s quality of life (2,3). In Chapter 11, Jones
describes the important inter-relationship between dyspnea and health
status.
