Increased mortality associated with frequent exacerbations in COPD patients with mild-to-moderate lung function impairment, and smokers with normal spirometry

The burden of frequent respiratory exacerbations in COPD patients with mild-to-moderate spirometric impairment and smokers with preserved lung function is unknown. We categorized COPD participants in COPDGene with post-bronchodilator FEV1%predicted≥50% by the annual exacerbation frequency into three groups: i)frequent exacerbators (top 5%; n = 109), ii)exacerbators (>0 but less than frequent exacerbators; n = 1,009), and iii)No exacerbation (n =...