Table 2 Baseline characteristics of patients in GOLD stages

Age

64.9

64.6

64.6

64.5

0.796

Male

81.4%

72.7%

85.8%

73.2%

<0.001

BMI

25.9

26.9

25.7

25.7

<0.001

Current smoker

29.2%

34.3%

24.0%

28.5%

<0.001

Pack-years

37.7

40.4

37.8

40.7

0.076

Time since diagnosis (years)

9.2

9.4

9.2

10.0

0.030

FEV₁ (liters)

1.72

1.63

1.33

1.16

-

FEV₁ (as a% of predicted)

60.3%

58.6%

46.5%

41.9%

-

SGRQ

17.1

44.9

18.4

51.3

-

Respiratory medication at baseline (%)

Short-acting anticholinergic

28.4%

39.4%

40.2%

50.3%

<0.001

Long-acting anticholinergic

2.5%

1.6%

1.7%

2.0%

0.664

Short-acting β₂-agonist

55.1%

62.5%

60.5%

73.9%

<0.001

Long-acting β₂-agonist

44.9%

52.2%

58.8%

64.1%

<0.001

Inhaled corticosteroid

47.8%

54.7%

64.5%

66.0%

<0.001

Oral corticosteroid

2.5%

4.6%

4.7%

11.0%

<0.001

Theophylline compound

14.6%

21.0%

23.6%

31.9%

<0.001

Mucolytic agent

3.1%

5.6%

4.7%

8.3%

<0.001

Leuktriene-receptor antagonist

1.1%

2.0%

1.4%

4.3%

<0.001

Supplemental oxygen

0%

0.6%

1.4%

3.0%

<0.001

Number of different types of medication

1.75

2.04

2.24

2.52

<0.001

Number of co-morbidities

3.32

3.71

3.03

3.71

0.588

Number of courses of antibiotics

0.21

0.28

1.08

1.43

-

Number of courses of oral corticosteroids

0.097

0.146

0.55

0.91

-

Number of hospital admissions in previous year

0

0

0.21

0.37

-