Long-term survival in patients hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective observational study in the Nordic countries

Figures & data

Table 1 Baseline characteristics for patients (n = 256) with a previous hospital admission for COPD according to vital status at the time of follow-up (n, % or mean ± SD)

	Alive n = 54	Dead n = 202	P-value*
Men (%)	20 (37)	89 (44)	0.32
Age (years)	63 ± 10	71 ± 9	<0.0001*
Current smoker (%)	18 (33)	46 (23)	0.12
Pack years	36 ± 21	41 ± 24	0.19
FEV1 % pred	47 ± 19	36 ± 18	0.0001*
GOLD stages (%)			<0.0001*
Stage 1–2	25 (47)	10 (18)
Stage 3	16 (29)	61 (30)
Stage 4	13 (24)	105 (52)
BMI	26 ± 6	24 ± 5	0.004*
BMI groups (%)			0.02
<20	5 (9)	42 (21)
20–25	18 (33)	91 (45)
25–30	23 (42)	44 (22)
>30	9 (16)	22 (11)
College education (%)	14 (26)	48(24)	0.83
Living alone (%)	29 (54)	125 (62)	0.28
Cardiovascular disease (%)	20 (37)	97 (48)	0.15
Diabetes (%)	4 (7.4)	22 (11)	0.45
Anxiety (%)	7 (13)	42 (21)	0.21
Depression (%)	5 (10)	(9)	0.80
SGRQ
Total	51 ± 18	55 ± 17	0.10
Symptom	60 ± 18	63 ± 21	0.44
Activity	59 ± 25	66 ± 21	0.046*
Impact	41 ± 19	44 ± 18	0.31
LABA and/or ICS (%)			0.23
None	7 (13)	44 (22)
LABA alone	6 (11)	22 (11)
ICS alone	12 (22)	56 (28)
LABA and ICS	29 (53)	77 (38)
Long term oxygen treatment (%)	7 (13)	50 (25)	0.06

Note:

* Statistically significant.

Abbreviations: FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; BMI, body mass index; SGRQ, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire; LABA, long-acting β₂-agonists; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids.

Figure 1 Distribution of causes of death in patients previously admitted to hospital for an acute exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Table 2 Risk factors for death during follow-up in patients with a previous hospital admission for COPD, according to all-cause mortality, respiratory mortality, and cardiovascular mortality, respectively

	All causes HRR (95% CI)	Respiratory death	Cardiovascular death
Women	0.77 (0.54–1.10)	0.66 (0.41–1.07)	0.52 (0.18–1.48)
Age 10 years	1.75 (1.40–2.19)*	2.03 (1.47–2.82)*	3.07 (1.80–5.25)*
Current smoker	1.18 (0.78–1.79)	1.57 (0.83–2.82)	0.94 (0.37–2.42)
FEV1 % predicted	0.81 (0.71–0.91)*	0.63 (0.51–0.78)*	0.90 (0.71–1.14)
BMI groups
<20	3.21 (1.83–5.60)*	3.99 (1.77–8.99)*	7.82 (1.66–36.8)*
20–25	1.42 (0.89–2.28)	1.57 (0.76–3.27	1.80 (0.58–5.63)
25–30	1	1	1
>30	1.82 (0.95–3.47)	1.68 (0.57–4.97)	3.28 (0.87–12.4)
Cardiovacular disease	1.24 (0.85–1.81)	1.20 (0.69–2.09)	1.98 (0.69–5.72)
Diabetes	3.02 (1.69–5.40)*	4.92 (1.51–16.0)*	5.48 (2.03–14.8)*
SGRQ total score	1.04 (0.99–1.09)	1.00 (0.93–1.08)	1.02 (0.92–1.13)

Note:

* P < 0.05.

Abbreviations: HRR, hazard risk ratio; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; BMI, body mass index; SGRQ, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire.

Figure 2 Kaplan–Meier survival curve in COPD patietns according to GOLD stage.

Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Figure 3 Distribution of causes of death in COPD patients according to GOLD stage.

Notes: P_{respiratory cause of death} = 0.002; P_{cardiovascular cause of death} = 0.02.
Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Figure 4 Distribution of cause of death in COPD patient according to sex.

Note: P_{cancer as cause of death} = 0.02.
Abbreviation: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.