Table 1 Demographics and baseline characteristics

Male sex, %

76.4

72.1

70.9

82.1

Age, years^a

62.8 (9.0)

63.0 (9.2)

63.0 (8.8)

64.2 (8.8)

BMI, kg/m^2a

26.8 (5.0)

26.4 (5.3)

26.4 (5.2)

25.8 (5.6)

COPD duration, years^a

7.6 (6.7)

8.2 (6.5)

8.8 (6.7)

9.1 (6.9)

Current smokers, %

48.8

50.3

41.7

44.6

Smoking history, pack-years^a

38.1 (19.3)

38.2 (19.4)

39.4 (21.3)

40.3 (20.5)

Post-bronchodilator FEV₁, L^a

1.45 (0.46)

1.36 (0.45)

1.32 (0.42)

1.22 (0.42)

Post-bronchodilator FEV₁, % predicted^a

50.1 (13.3)

48.2 (13.3)

47.2 (12.6)

43.0 (13.0)

GOLD category, %

  2^b

51.6

46.2

41.4

26.6

  3/4

48.4

53.8

58.6

73.4

≥ 2 antibiotic courses in prior year, %^c

22.6

28.1

38.0

34.8

≥ 2 systemic corticosteroid courses in prior year, %^c

9.2

13.5

21.9

23.0

Pulmonary treatment at baseline

Tiotropium, %

27.2

35.4

37.0

36.1

LABAs, total/monotherapy, %

48.1 / 8.5

55.1 / 7.6

61.6 / 7.1

54.8 / 5.4

ICS, total/monotherapy, %

49.5 / 9.9

58.0 / 10.6

64.2 / 9.8

63.7 / 14.2

LABA + ICS, %

39.6

47.5

54.5

49.5

Oral corticosteroids, %

2.0

2.8

3.4

3.5

Xanthines, %

20.2

24.4

26.9

28.4

0.6

1.2

0.8

1.5