Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the included patients.
| Characteristic | N | Mean ± St. dev./Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 173 | 71 ± 10 |
| Man | 87 | 51% |
| Weight (kg) | 172 | 75.3 ± 20.5 |
| Length (cm) | 172 | 171 ± 9 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 172 | 25.8 ± 6.4 |
| Smoking | 173 | |
| Current | 51 | 29.5% |
| Former | 113 | 65.3% |
| Never | 9 | 5.2% |
| COPD Gold stage for Airway obstruction | 166 | |
| I | 4 | 2.3% |
| II | 64 | 37.0% |
| III | 62 | 35.8% |
| IV | 36 | 20.8% |
| Comorbidities: | ||
| Other Lung diseases | 40 | 23.3% |
| Cardiac | 84 | 48.6% |
| Vascular | 95 | 54.9% |
| Neurologic | 55 | 31.8% |
| Diabetes | 35 | 20.2% |
| Stable state Lung function: | 162 | |
| FEV1 (L) | 162 | 1.19 ± 0.49 |
| VCmax (L) | 162 | 2.77 ± 0.95 |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 162 | 46 ± 17 |
| FEV1/VCmax (%) | 162 | 44 ± 13 |
| TLco (% predicted) | 88 | 47 ± 16 |
| Current maintenance treatment at home | ||
| Long-acting β2-agonists | 140 | 80.9% |
| Long-acting muscarinic antagonists | 121 | 69.9% |
| Inhalated corticosteroids | 132 | 76.3% |
| Oral Corticosteroids | 41 | 23.7% |
| Antibiotics | 36 | 20.8% |
| Oxygen treatment at home | 33 | 19.1% |
| Year before treatment: | ||
| Number of exacerbations in which treatment was needed | 173 | 1.00 (0–3) |
| Number of admissions | 173 | 0.00 (0–1) |
| First arterial blood gas values: | ||
| pH | 101 | 7,39 (± 0,07) |
| pCO2 (kPa) | 101 | 6,82 (± 2,01) |
| pO2 (kPa) | 101 | 8,15 (± 2,01) |
Values shown are mean ± standard deviation or percentage (%) for categorical data.
N: number of patients; BMI: Body mass index; COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1 forced expiratory volume in 1 second; L: litre; VCmax: maximal vital capacity; FEV1/VCmax: Tiffeneau index; TLco: diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide.