Table 3
Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale*†Responses (%)
0. No breathlessness2.1
1. Not troubled by breathlessness except on strenuous exercise.10.1
2. Short of breath when hurrying on the level or walking up a slight hill.44.6
3. Walks slower than most people on the level, stops after a mile or so, or stops after 15 minutes walking at own pace.22.2
4. Stops for breath after walking about 100 yards or after a few minutes on level ground.16.5
5. Too breathless to leave the house or breathless when dressing or undressing.4.6
Questionnaire to evaluate exercise tolerance‡Yes Responses (%)
    Do you have a reduced exercise tolerance compared with others of the same age?51.9
    Do you feel more tired than others of the same age?52.7§
    Do you feel you need more recovery time after exercise than others of the same age?46.1†
    Do you feel your heart is pounding or feel palpitations or feel agitated during activities such as walking, gardening, or housework?39.9‖
    Response to the above questions were all negative23.8‖

  • ↵* Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, adapted from Fletcher et al.18

  • ↵† One instance of missing data.

  • ↵‡ Questions translated from Dutch to English.

  • ↵§ Two instances of missing data.

  • ↵‖ Three instances of missing data.