Sample characteristics and scores of tests at both assessment points of breathlessness
| Measurements | Before exertion | At end of exertion |
| Participants n | 100 | 96 |
| Age years | 84.94±5.48 | |
| Male | 34 (34) | |
| Height m | 1.64±0.09 | |
| Weight kg | 71.98±13.30 | |
| BMI kg·m–2 | 26.72±4.20 | |
| Systolic BP mmHg | 126.40±25.45 | 137.63±20.53 |
| Diastolic BP mmHg | 74.02±14.49 | 79.20±15.01 |
| SpO2 % | 95.49±2.61 | 95.45±2.89 |
| MDP# | ||
| MDP-A1 score | 1 (0–3) | 2 (0–3) |
| MDP-IP score | 2 (0–8) | 6 (2–12) |
| MDP-ER score | 0 (0–4) | 0 (0–4.75) |
| Sensory qualities | ||
| Other | ||
| Best match | 58 (58) | 33 (34.4) |
| Intensity | 0 | 0 |
| Muscle effort or work | 9 (9) | 28 (29.2) |
| 0 (0–0.75) | 1 (0–4) | |
| Air hunger | 2 (2) | 2 (2.1) |
| 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | |
| Chest tightness | 4 (4) | 4 (4.2) |
| 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | |
| Mental effort or concentration | 13 (13) | 7 (7.3) |
| 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–1) | |
| Breathing a lot | 14 (14) | 22 (22.9) |
| 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–3.75) | |
| Sensory qualities’ intensity total score | 0 (0–6.75) | 4 (0–10) |
| Emotional responses | ||
| Depressed | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) |
| Anxious | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–2) |
| Frustrated | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) |
| Angry | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) |
| Afraid | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) |
| NRS# | ||
| Intensity | 0 (0–4) | 2 (0–4) |
| Unpleasantness | 1 (0–4) | 2 (0–4) |
| mBDS# | 0.5 (0–3) | 2 (0.5–3) |
| MRC | ||
| 0 (no breathlessness at all) | 14 (14) | |
| 1 (short of breath only in strenuous exercise) | 23 (23) | |
| 2 (short of breath when hurrying on level/walking up a slight hill) | 19 (19) | |
| 3 (walks slower than peers on level due to shortness of breath/stops for breath after walking at own pace) | 8 (8) | |
| 4 (stops for breath after walking 100 m/few minutes on level ground) | 18 (18) | |
| 5 (too breathless to leave the house or when un/dressing) | 18 (18) | |
| HADS | ||
| Total | 13 (7–16) | |
| Anxiety | 6 (3–9) | |
| Depression | 6 (3.25–8) | |
| SPPB | 5 (3–8) | |
Data are presented as mean±sd, n (%) or median (interquartile range), unless otherwise stated. BMI: body mass index; BP: blood pressure; SpO2: peripheral oxygen saturation; MDP: Multidimensional Dyspnoea Profile; A1: Unpleasantness/Discomfort; IP: Immediate Perception; ER: Emotional Response; NRS: Numerical Rating Scale; mBDS: modified Borg Dyspnoea Scale; MRC: Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale; HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SPPB: Short Physical Performance Battery. #: number of participants with scores >0 as follows: MDP-A1 54 before and 69 after exertion; MDP-IP 34 before and 36 after; MDP-ER 65 before and 78 after; NRS-I (Intensity) 48 before and 66 after; NRS-U (Unpleasantness) 54 before and after; mBDS 63 before and 75 after.