Table 2. Risk of stroke in association with previous COPD exacerbations by sex and age^b.

	N	Events	PY	Incidence	HR (95% CI)a
No COPD	7672	385	65986	5.8	1.00 (reference)
COPDne	3836	194	34636	5.6	0.97 (0.88–1.06)
COPDe	1918	120	15812	7.6	1.28 (1.03–1.59)
Female
No COPD	2800	131	25046	5.2	1.00 (reference)
COPDne	1400	58	12947	4.5	0.94 (0.80–1.10)
COPDe	700	34	6124	5.6	1.13 (0.76–1.68)
Male
No COPD	4872	254	40939	6.2	1.00 (reference)
COPDne	2436	136	21688	6.3	0.98 (0.88–1.09)
COPDe	1218	86	9688	8.9	1.37 (1.06–1.77)
40–49 years
No COPD	1712	39	16721	2.3	1.00 (reference)
COPDne	856	18	8434	2.1	0.85 (0.63–1.14)
COPDe	428	18	3932	4.6	1.29 (0.71–2.37)
50–59 years
No COPD	2664	122	24162	5.0	1.00 (reference)
COPDne	1332	72	12362	5.8	1.04 (0.90–1.21)
COPDe	666	44	5858	7.5	1.44 (1.00–2.07)
60–69 years
No COPD	2240	148	19046	7.8	1.00 (reference)
COPDne	1120	71	10153	7.0	0.96 (0.83–1.11)
COPDe	560	48	4597	10.4	1.37 (0.97–1.92)
≥70 years
No COPD	1056	76	6057	12.5	1.00 (reference)
COPDne	528	33	3687	9.0	0.92 (0.75–1.13)
COPDe	264	10	1426	7.0	0.65 (0.33–1.30)

CI = confidence interval; COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COPDe = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations; COPDe = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with no exacerbations; HR, hazard ratio; PY = person-years

^a Full model adjusted for all covariates listed in Table 1 except for respiratory medications.

^b Compared with non-COPD controls, the HR of hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, and other stroke for COPD patients without exacerbations were 0.87 (95% CI, 0.72–1.07), 0.97(95% CI, 0.87–1.09), 1.04(95% CI, 0.83–1.29), respectively; the corresponding HR for COPD patients with exacerbations were 1.42 (95% CI, 0.91–2.22), 1.27(95% CI, 0.97–1.66), and 1.09 (95% CI, 0.60–1.96), respectively.