TABLE 1.
Demographics and baseline patient characteristics for patients treated with oral corticosteroids for COPD exacerbations in a primary-care setting (Cohort 1) and in a hospital setting (Cohort 2)
| Variable | Cohort 1 | Cohort 2 |
| Subjects | 6416 | 10 245 |
| Age years | 71.3±10.3 | 75.1±9.9 |
| ≥40–<60 years | 850 (13.2) | 716 (7.0) |
| ≥60–<80 years | 4113 (64.1) | 5838 (57.0) |
| ≥80 years | 1453 (22.6) | 3691 (36.0) |
| Male | 3011 (46.9) | 5258 (51.3) |
| Smoking status# | ||
| Nonmissing | 6364 (99.2) | 10,169 (99.3) |
| Never-smoker | 747 (11.7) | 993 (9.8) |
| Current smoker | 2044 (32.1) | 2940 (28.9) |
| Ex-smoker | 3573 (56.1) | 6236 (61.3) |
| BMI# kg·m−2 | 27.6±6.1 | 26.0±6.2 |
| Nonmissing | 1769 (27.6) | 8943 (87.3) |
| <18.5 kg·m−2 | 331 (5.4) | 766 (8.6) |
| ≥18.5–<25 kg·m−2 | 2045 (33.1) | 3596 (40.2) |
| ≥25–<30 kg·m−2 | 1948 (31.5) | 2495 (27.9) |
| ≥30 kg·m−2 | 1855 (30.0) | 2086 (23.3) |
| Active asthma¶ | 866 (13.5) | 486 (4.7) |
| Active rhinitis¶ | 114 (1.8) | 493 (4.8) |
| Active eczema¶ | 267 (4.2) | 430 (4.2) |
| Nasal polyps+ | 133 (2.1) | 147 (1.4) |
| Diabetes mellitus+ | 1132 (17.6) | 1881 (18.4) |
| GORD+ | 1426 (22.2) | 2044 (20.0) |
| Cardiovascular disease+ | 3001 (46.8) | 6414 (62.6) |
| Hypertension+ | 3019 (47.1) | 4886 (47.7) |
| Osteoporosis+ | 695 (10.8) | 1241 (12.1) |
| Depression/anxiety+ | 2713 (42.3) | 4396 (42.9) |
| FEV1 % pred | 53.9±20.1 | 50.9±20.9 |
| Subjects | 5873 | 7883 |
| ≥80% pred | 637 (10.8) | 771 (9.8) |
| ≥50%–<80% pred | 2734 (46.6) | 2901 (36.8) |
| ≥30%–<50% pred | 1776 (30.2) | 3046 (38.6) |
| <30% pred | 726 (12.4) | 1165 (14.8) |
| GOLD group | ||
| Subjects | 5460 | 8789 |
| A | 838 (15.3) | 556 (6.3) |
| B | 768 (14.1) | 701 (8.0) |
| C | 1827 (33.5) | 3641 (41.4) |
| D | 2027 (37.1) | 3891 (44.3) |
Data are presented as n, mean±sd or n (%), unless otherwise stated. BMI: body mass index; GORD: gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. #: the closest BMI within 10 years of the index date, and the smoking status closest to and within 5 years of index date were included; ¶: active disease was defined as a diagnostic or monitoring read code or evidence for specific treatment within 1 year before index date; +: ever diagnosed.