Table 1.
Characteristics of the Patients at Baseline.*
| Characteristic | Metoprolol (N = 268) | Placebo (N = 264) |
|---|---|---|
| Age — yr | 65.2±7.6 | 64.8±7.9 |
| Race — no. (%)† | ||
| White | 178 (66.4) | 194 (73.5) |
| Black | 83 (31.0) | 60 (22.7) |
| Other | 7 (2.6) | 10 (3.8) |
| Female sex — no. (%) | 124 (46.3) | 123 (46.6) |
| FEV1 after bronchodilation — % of predicted value | 41.3±16.3 | 40.8±16.2 |
| FEV1:FVC ratio — % | 44.2±11.7 | 45.2±21.6 |
| Smoking history | ||
| No. of pack-yr | 50.7±28.7 | 49.5±29.6 |
| Current smoker — no. (%) | 95 (35.4) | 71 (26.9) |
| COPD medication — no. (%) | ||
| Inhaled glucocorticoid, LABA, and LAMA | 154 (57.5) | 160 (60.6) |
| Inhaled glucocorticoid and LABA | 45 (16.8) | 51 (19.3) |
| LAMA only | 20 (7.5) | 17 (6.4) |
| LABA and LAMA | 11 (4.1) | 13 (4.9) |
| Inhaled glucocorticoid and LAMA | 8 (3.0) | 6 (2.3) |
| Inhaled glucocorticoid only | 5 (1.9) | 2 (0.8) |
| Other | 25 (9.3) | 15 (5.7) |
| Heart rate — beats/min | 85.5±10.8 | 83.6±11.7 |
| Blood pressure — mm Hg | ||
| Systolic | 128.4±16.5 | 130.6±15.9 |
| Diastolic | 77.2±9.2 | 76.8±9.1 |
| No. of courses of systemic glucocorticoids or antibiotic use in previous 12 mo | 1.9±1.5 | 1.9±1.7 |
| No. of hospitalizations in previous 12 mo | 0.7±1.0 | 0.5±1.2 |
| Score on COPD Assessment Test‡ | 20.1±7.3 | 21.3±7.3 |
| Score of >1 on modified Medical Research Council scale — no. (%)§ | 164 (61.2) | 169 (64.0) |
| Enrollment criteria — no. (%) | ||
| Systemic glucocorticoid or antibiotic use in previous 12 mo | 246 (91.8) | 228 (86.4) |
| COPD exacerbation leading to emergency department visit or hospitalization in previous 12 mo | 168 (62.7) | 133 (50.4) |
| Prescription or use of supplemental oxygen in previous 12 mo | 106 (39.6) | 106 (40.2) |
*
Plus-minus values are means ±SD. Percentages may not total 100 because of rounding. COPD denotes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, FEV1 forced expiratory volume in 1 second, FVC forced vital capacity, LABA long-acting beta agonist, and LAMA long-acting muscarinic antagonist.
†
Race was reported by the patients.
‡
Scores on the COPD Assessment Test range from 0 to 40, with lower scores indicating better functioning and with a minimal clinically important difference of 2 points.
§
Scores for dyspnea on the modified Medical Research Council scale range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating more severe breathlessness.