Back to Journals » International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease » Volume 5

Association between lung function and exacerbation frequency in patients with COPD

Authors Hoogendoorn M, Feenstra TL, Hoogenveen RT, Al M, Rutten-van Mölken M

Published 9 December 2010 Volume 2010:5 Pages 435—444

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S13826

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Martine Hoogendoorn1, Talitha L Feenstra2,3, Rudolf T Hoogenveen2, Maiwenn Al1, Maureen Rutten-van Mölken1
1Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University, Rotterdam; 2Department for Prevention and Health Services Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven; 3Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Purpose: To quantify the relationship between severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as expressed by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage and the annual exacerbation frequency in patients with COPD.
Methods: We performed a systematic literature review to identify randomized controlled trials and cohort studies reporting the exacerbation frequency in COPD patients receiving usual care or placebo. Annual frequencies were determined for total exacerbations defined by an increased use of health care (event-based), total exacerbations defined by an increase of symptoms, and severe exacerbations defined by a hospitalization. The association between the mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)% predicted of study populations and the exacerbation frequencies was estimated using weighted log linear regression with random effects. The regression equations were applied to the mean FEV1% predicted for each GOLD stage to estimate the frequency per stage.
Results: Thirty-seven relevant studies were found, with 43 reports of total exacerbation frequency (event-based, n = 19; symptom-based, n = 24) and 14 reports of frequency of severe exacerbations. Annual event-based exacerbation frequencies per GOLD stage were estimated at 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.46–1.49) for mild, 1.17 (0.93–1.50) for moderate, 1.61 (1.51–1.74) for severe, and 2.10 (1.51–2.94) for very severe COPD. Annual symptom-based frequencies were 1.15 (95% confidence interval 0.67–2.07), 1.44 (1.14–1.87), 1.76 (1.70–1.88), and 2.09 (1.57–2.82), respectively. For severe exacerbations, annual frequencies were 0.11 (95% confidence interval 0.02–0.56), 0.16 (0.07–0.33), 0.22 (0.20–0.23), and 0.28 (0.14–0.63), respectively. Study duration or type of study (cohort versus trial) did not significantly affect the outcomes.
Conclusion: This study provides an estimate of the exacerbation frequency per GOLD stage, which can be used for health economic and modeling purposes.

Keywords: COPD, exacerbations, disease severity, GOLD, review, regression

Creative Commons License © 2010 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.