Modification of COPD Presentation During the Last 25 Years

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Length of hospitalization (mean ± SEM) according to the GOLD stages and the cohort

Figure 2. Thirty months survival of the two cohorts

Table 1.  Baseline characteristics of study patients

	1980–1984(n = 51)	2001–2005(n = 101)	p value
Age (years)	67.8 ± 1.2	68.1 ± 0.9	0.85
Height (cm)	168 ± 0.9	167.4 ± 0.7	0.60
Weight (kg)	73.8 ± 2	68.3 ± 1.5	0.10
Body-mass index (kg/m^2)	25.9 ± 1	24.3 ± 0.5	0.18
Female (%)	10	17	0.33
GOLD classification (%)
stage I	6	1	0.02
stage II	29	21	0.66
stage III-IV	65	78	0.17
Length of stay (days)	13.6 ± 1.4	12.7 ± 0.7	0.52
Thirty months’ survival (%)	66.6	69.3	0.85
FEV1 (L)	1.28 ± 0.1	1.07 ± 0.04	0.01
FEV1 (% predicted)	48.4 ± 2.8	40.6 ± 1.5	0.01
Hemoglobin (gr/dl)	14.8 ± 0.2	13.8 ± 0.1	<0.01
Hematocrit (%)	45 ± 0.01	43 ± 0.01	0.02
Creatinin (mg/dl)	1.1 ± 0.05	1.1 ± 0.03	0.45
Creatinin's clearance (ml/min)	69.6 ± 5	64.1 ± 2	0.24
Charlson's index	1.63 ± 0.16	2.26 ± 0.12	<0.01
Age-adjusted Charlson's index	3.34 ± 0.16	4.05 ± 0.18	<0.01

Table 2.  Use of medication prior to admission

	1980–1984 (n = 51)	2001–2005(n = 101)	p value
Oxygen (%)	10	18	0.17
Short-acting anti-cholinergics (%)	20	71	<0.01
Short-acting ß2- mimetics (%)	63	79	0.03
Long-acting anti- cholinergics (%)	0	30	<0.01
Long-acting ß2- mimetics (%)	0	75	<0.01
Oral steroids (%)	25	45	0.01
Inhaled steroids (%)	18	78	<0.01
ACE- inhibitor (%)	0	16	<0.01
Aspirin (%)	0	19	<0.01
Vitamine K antagonists (%)	0	5	0.32
Statins (%)	0	8	0.06
Loop diuretics (%)	26	30	0.69
Calcium-channel blockers (%)	4	17	0.03
Beta-blockers (%)	8	14	0.43

Figure 3. Mean (±SEM) hemoglobin (gr/dl) in the cohort 2001–2005 according to the intake of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor