Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the prevalent cases
| Demographic characteristics | Total (N=6,125)a | “Old” cases* (N=4,850) |
Cases (%) first diagnosed within the past yearb (N=1,064) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male/female | 4,367/1,758 (71.3/28.7) | 3,490/1,360 (72/28) | 720/344 (67.7/32.3) |
| Duration of COPD (years) | 10.0 (5.0, 15.0) | 10.0 (5.0, 15.0) | – |
| Body mass indexb | |||
| Normal (18.5–25 kg/m2) | 1,574 (25.9) | 1,245 (25.9) | 277 (26.2) |
| Overweight (25–30 kg/m2) | 2,715 (44.7) | 2,133 (44.3) | 495 (46.8) |
| Obese (>30 kg/m2) | 1,781 (29.3) | 1,436 (29.8) | 286 (27.0) |
| Smoking status (N=5,999) | |||
| Current smokers | 2,869 (47.8) | 2,126 (44.6) | 676 (64.8) |
| Ex-smokers | 2,519 (42) | 2,155 (45.2) | 271 (26.0) |
| Never-smokers | 611 (10.2) | 488 (10.2) | 96 (9.2) |
| Diagnosis (N=5,914) | |||
| Chronic bronchitis | 2,856 (48.3) | 2,260 (46.6) | 596 (56.0) |
| Emphysema | 801 (13.5) | 659 (13.6) | 142 (13.3) |
| Mixed disease | 2,092 (35.4) | 1,808 (37.3) | 284 (26.7) |
| Undefined respiratory disease | 165 (2.8) | 123 (2.5) | 42 (3.9) |
| GOLD 2011 classification of severity of airflow limitation (N=6,114) | |||
| 1 | 1,181 (19.3) | 755 (15.6) | 398 (37.4) |
| 2 | 2,167 (35.4) | 1,705 (35.2) | 399 (37.5) |
| 3 | 1,567 (25.6) | 1,302 (26.8) | 198 (18.6) |
| 4 | 1,199 (19.6) | 1,088 (22.4) | 69 (6.5) |
| Number of exacerbations in the past year | 2.0 (0.0, 3.0) | – | – |
| Would prefer the inhaled bronchodilator therapy to include fewer inhalations | 4,832 (81.1) | 3,978 (83.2) | 691 (70.3) |
| Compliance to therapy | |||
| Never/almost never | 3,242 (54.5) | 2,527 (52.4) | 604 (65.1) |
| <3 times a month | 1,276 (21.5) | 1,088 (22.6) | 143 (15.4) |
| 1 time a week | 666 (11.2) | 570 (11.8) | 70 (7.5) |
| >1 time a week | 483 (8.1) | 415 (8.6) | 56 (6.0) |
| Almost every day | 277 (4.7) | 218 (4.5) | 55 (5.9) |
| Respiratory failure-type I | 1,422 (23.4) | 1,213 (25.2) | 142 (13.4) |
| Respiratory failure-type II | 624 (10.3) | 557 (11.6) | 43 (4.1) |
| Use of nebulizer | 1,316 (21.6) | 1,188 (24.5) | 73 (6.9) |
| Noninvasive mechanical ventilationb | 201 (3.3) | 156 (3.2) | 27 (2.5) |
| Therapy with oxygen | 1,048 (17.1) | 976 (20.1) | 52 (4.9) |
| Concomitant diseases | |||
| 0 | 1,093 (18.2) | 792 (16.6) | 269 (25.7) |
| 1 | 1,567 (26.1) | 1,186 (24.8) | 336 (32.1) |
| 2 | 1,430 (23.8) | 1,130 (23.7) | 239 (22.8) |
| 3 | 982 (16.4) | 829 (17.4) | 128 (12.2) |
| 4+ | 934 (15.6) | 841 (17.6) | 76 (7.3) |
| Common comorbid conditions | |||
| Hypertension | 3,379 (55.3) | 2,797 (57.7) | 470 (44.2) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 1,253 (20.6) | 1,034 (21.4) | 177 (16.7) |
| Heart failure | 1,185 (19.4) | 1,021 (21.1) | 119 (11.2) |
| Gastroesophageal reflux | 934 (15.3) | 767 (15.8) | 144 (13.6)b |
Notes:
a
Data are presented as median (interquartile ranges) for numerical variables or as number (%) for categorical variables.
b
Differences were not statistically significant; all others were significant (P<0.001).
*
“Old” refers to cases diagnosed for at least two years.
Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.