Table 2.
Characteristics of the study population by phenotype
| Variable | Positive bronchodilator response | Non-exacerbator | Exacerbator with emphysema | Exacerbator with chronic bronchitis | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients, n | 71 | 130 | 36 | 38 | |
| Age, years | 63.44 (60.83–66.04) | 69.67 (68.07–71.27) | 68.44 (64.88–72.01) | 71.16 (68.15–74.16) | 0.001 |
| Men, n (%) | 63 (88.7) | 119 (91.5) | 31 (86.1) | 32 (84.2) | 0.558 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 28.15 (26.94–29.36) | 28.61 (27.61–29.61) | 26.69 (25.06–28.32) | 27.01 (25.94–28.08) | 0.121 |
| Smoking status, n (%) | |||||
| Nonsmoker | 0 (0) | 3 (2.3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.336 |
| Smoker | 35 (49.3) | 35 (27.1) | 11 (30.6) | 13 (35.1) | 0.017 |
| Ex-smoker | 36 (50.7) | 91 (70.5) | 25 (69.4) | 24 (64.9) | 0.039 |
| Unknown | 0 (0) | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.6) | 0.441 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 16 (22.5) | 32 (24.6) | 13 (36.1) | 11 (28.9) | 0.45 |
| Arterial hypertension, n (%) | 28 (39.4) | 80 (61.5) | 18 (50) | 22 (57.9) | 0.023 |
| Dyslipidemia, n (%) | 24 (33.8) | 56 (43.1) | 10 (27.8) | 12 (31.6) | 0.245 |
| Ischemic heart disease, n (%) | 4 (5.6) | 18 (13.8) | 4 (11.1) | 14 (36.8) | <0.001 |
| Atrial fibrillation, n (%) | 4 (5.6) | 18 (13.8) | 5 (13.9) | 9 (23.7) | 0.063 |
| Cerebrovascular accident, n (%) | 3 (4.2) | 14 (10.8) | 3 (8.3) | 2 (5.3) | 0.373 |
| Eosinophils, absolute value | 235.21 (200.11–270.32) | 215.38 (190.99–239.78) | 150 (111.16–188.84) | 118.42 (82.48–154.36) | <0.001 |
| Eosinophils, % | 2.73 (2.34–3.12) | 2.6 (2.31–2.9) | 1.76 (1.33–2.18) | 1.58 (1.15–2.02) | <0.001 |
| FEV1, % | 53.71 (51.12–56.31) | 48.69 (46.57–50.8) | 42.31 (38.92–45.7) | 42.87 (39.32–46.42) | <0.001 |
| FEV1, mL | 1,450.7 (1,358.4–1,543.01) | 1,197.62 (1,131.72–1,263.51) | 995.56 (912.42–1,078.69) | 985.79 (889.16–1,082.42) | <0.001 |
| Mortality, n (%) | 12 (16.9) | 44 (33.8) | 15 (41.7) | 19 (50) | 0.002 |
| Treatment, n (%) | |||||
| Anticholinergic drugs | 60 (84.5) | 124 (95.4) | 35 (97.2) | 38 (100) | 0.004 |
| LABA | 66 (93) | 107 (82.3) | 35 (97.2) | 37 (97.4) | 0.006 |
| Inhaled corticosteroids | 61 (85.9) | 87 (66.9) | 33 (91.7) | 35 (92.1) | <0.001 |
| Roflumilast | 2 (2.8) | 2 (1.5) | 2 (5.6) | 1 (2.6) | 0.6 |
| Theophylline | 1 (1.4) | 5 (3.8) | 5 (13.9) | 6 (15.8) | 0.003 |
| COH | 14 (19.7) | 38 (29.5) | 21 (58.3) | 24 (63.2) | <0.001 |
| CPAP, BiPAP | 10 (14.1) | 16 (12.3) | 3 (8.3) | 2 (5.3) | 0.497 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in the first second; LABA, long-acting β2-adrenergic agonists; CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure; BiPAP, bilevel positive airway pressure; COH, continuous home oxygen therapy.