Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of COPD patients on triple therapy from Cohort 2 in the baseline year
| Baseline clinical characteristics | COPD patients on triple therapy, N=30,493 |
|---|---|
| DCI | |
| Mean (SD); median (range) | 1.4 (1.9); 1.0 (0–20) |
| DCI, category | |
| 0 | 13,350 (43.8%) |
| 1 | 6,582 (21.6%) |
| 2 | 4,355 (14.3%) |
| 3 | 2,535 (8.3%) |
| 4+ | 3,671 (12.0%) |
| Baseline comorbidities | |
| Heart failure | 18,804 (61.7%) |
| Hypercholesterolemia/hyperlipidemia | 16,116 (52.9%) |
| Depression | 8,372 (27.5%) |
| Stroke | 6,643 (21.8%) |
| Mood disorders | 5,872 (19.3%) |
| Hypertension | 5,881 (19.3%) |
| TIA | 4,946 (16.2%) |
| Ischemic heart disease | 4,299 (14.1%) |
| Cancer | 3,543 (11.6%) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 3,343 (11.0%) |
| Respiratory failure | 3,131 (10.3%) |
| Myocardial infarction | 2,489 (8.2%) |
| Insomnia | 2,400 (7.9%) |
| Pneumonia | 1,898 (6.2%) |
| Osteoporosis | 1,549 (5.1%) |
| Anxiety | 1,421 (4.7%) |
| Cardiac arrhythmias | 643 (2.1%) |
| COPD severity (based on algorithm from Wu et al10) | |
| GOLD 1, mild | 10,511 (34.5%) |
| GOLD 2, moderate | 12,433 (40.8%) |
| GOLD 3, severe | 6,862 (22.5%) |
| GOLD 4, very severe | 687 (2.3%) |
| COPD severity (based on frequency and severity of exacerbations) | |
| GOLD 1 or 2 | 18,483 (60.6%) |
| None | 17,448 (57.2%) |
| Mild (only one exacerbation) | 1,035 (3.4%) |
| GOLD 3 or 4 | 12,010 (39.4%) |
| Mild (more than one exacerbation) | 5,468 (17.9%) |
| Moderate | 4,401 (14.4%) |
| Severe | 2,141 (7.0%) |
| Baseline medications | |
| Antibiotics commonly used for respiratory infections | 16,469 (54.0%) |
| Oral corticosteroids | 14,679 (48.1%) |
| COPD medications | 21,696 (71.2%) |
| LAMA | 20,889 (68.5%) |
| LABA | 650 (2.1%) |
| ICS | 728 (2.4%) |
| LAMA + LABA | 0 (0.0%) |
| LABA + ICS | 20,178 (66.2%) |
| SABA | 19,528 (64.0%) |
| SAMA | 1,373 (4.5%) |
| SABA + SAMA | 4,963 (16.3%) |
| Systemic corticosteroids | 15,008 (49.2%) |
| PDE-4 | 238 (0.8%) |
| Methylxanthines | 1,184 (3.9%) |
| Antidiabetic medications | 4,897 (16.1%) |
| Cardiovascular medications | 18,350 (60.2%) |
Notes: IMS PharMetrics Plus database from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013. Population used is the one identified for Objective 2.
Abbreviations: DCI, Deyo Charlson Comorbidity Index; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; LABA, long-acting beta-2 agonist; LAMA, long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonist; PDE-4, phosphodiesterase-4; SABA, short-acting beta-2 agonist; SAMA, short-acting muscarinic antagonist; SD, standard deviation; TIA, transient ischemic attack.