Table 3.
Patients' characteristics according to treatment regimen, among patients with three exacerbations or more in the year prior to cohort entry (3040 patients)
| Variables | Theophyllines | ICS | LABA | LABA + ICS | Theophyllines + ICS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of episode of treatment | 1676 | 3535 | 398 | 883 | 2202 |
| Duration of episode (days), mean ± SD | 76 ± 159 | 162 ± 233 | 67 ± 129 | 171 ± 227 | 161 ± 251 |
| Male (%) | 69.0 | 61.6 | 65.3 | 62.0 | 66.7 |
| Age at cohort entry (years), mean ± SD | 72.2 ± 7.8 | 73.6 ± 8.0 | 72.1 ± 7.2 | 71.4 ± 7.5 | 72.3 ± 7.4 |
| Income (%) | |||||
| Poor | 59.2 | 61.7 | 59.0 | 60.8 | 63.3 |
| Other | 40.8 | 38.3 | 41.0 | 39.2 | 36.7 |
| Number of COPD exacerbations per patient in the year prior to cohort entry, mean ± SD | 3.7 ± 1.0 | 3.7 ± 1.0 | 3.6 ± 0.9 | 3.6 ± 0.9 | 3.7 ± 1.0 |
| In the 3 months prior to an episode of treatment | |||||
| ≥1 visit to a respiratory physician, % | 24.5 | 23.5 | 32.4 | 36.1 | 26.4 |
| Number of filled prescriptions of antibiotics for COPD, mean ± SD | 1.0 ± 1.2 | 1.0 ± 1.2 | 1.0 ± 1.4 | 1.1 ± 1.3 | 1.1 ± 1.2 |
| Number of doses of SABA per day, mean ± SD | 4.4 ± 3.0 | 4.0 ± 2.7 | 3.6 ± 3.0 | 3.8 ± 2.7 | 4.8 ± 2.9 |
| Number of doses of ipratropium bromide per day, mean ± SD | 3.5 ± 2.9 | 3.2 ± 2.6 | 3.7 ± 3.0 | 3.8 ± 2.9 | 3.8 ± 2.9 |
COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; LABA, long-acting β2-agonists; SABA, short-acting β2-agonists.