Table 1.
Patient demographics and results of investigations
| Measurement | Patient group |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exacerbated COPD | Stable COPD | Non-obstructed smokers | |
| No. patients | 136 | 68 | 16 |
| Sex (M/F) | 64/72 | 30/38 | 4/12 |
| Age | 70.2 ± 9.4 | 66.3 ± 9.4 | 52.2 ± 7.6 |
| FEV1, litres (% Pred) | 0.84 ± 0.47 (39 ± 20) | 1.00 ± 0.53 (48 ± 22) | 2.60 ± 0.56 (105 ± 11) |
| Tobacco (packs/year) | 48.0 ± 39.2a | 42.2 ± 26.0b | 44.0 ± 21.5 |
| C reactive protein | 14.8 (5.0–70.2)c | 5.0 (5.0–8.4) | 5.0 (5.0–5.0) |
| White cell count | 10.9 ± 3.7c | 8.7 ± 2.6 | 8.6 ± 2.7 |
| Neutrophil count | 7.9 ± 3.6c | 5.4 ± 2.3 | 4.9 ± 2.2 |
| BMI | 25.4 ± 6.1 | 26.0 ± 5.2 | 29.0 ± 5.3 |
a
Exacerbated versus stable; p = 0.21, 95% CI −3.3–14.9.
b
Stable COPD versus NOS; p = 0.66, 95% CI −15.6–10.1.
c
COPD exacerbation versus stable COPD; p < 0.0001.