Table 1 Propensity score matching results – Required matched variables and exacerbation-related variables

Priority matching

Demographics

Age (mean, SD)

63.7

11.4

65.0

12.0

<0.0001

63.7

11.5

64.0

11.8

0.3139

Female (n, %)

1981

52.3%

3535

54.9%

0.0108

1932

52.3%

1989

53.8%

0.1841

Prior asthma diagnosis (n, %)

1371

36.2%

2078

32.3%

<0.0001

1320

35.7%

1280

34.6%

0.3299

COPD severity

Prior COPD inpatient visits (mean, SD)

0.13

0.40

0.15

0.42

0.0252

0.13

0.40

0.14

0.43

0.5613

Prior COPD ED visits (mean, SD)

0.18

0.52

0.18

0.52

0.6520

0.18

0.52

0.19

0.55

0.3530

Prior OCS fills (mean, SD)

1.26

1.74

1.01

1.39

<0.0001

1.22

1.68

1.17

1.54

0.1823

Prior antibiotic fills (mean, SD)

2.74

2.75

2.48

2.61

<0.0001

2.70

2.72

2.70

2.81

0.9441

COPD medications

Prior SABA or SABA/SAMA fills (mean, SD)

2.99

4.45

2.35

3.83

<0.0001

2.89

4.37

2.88

4.41

0.9161

Prior LABA fills (mean, SD)

0.24

1.35

0.11

0.92

<0.0001

0.22

1.29

0.16

1.10

0.1169

Prior LAMA fills (mean, SD)

1.19

2.61

0.98

2.32

<0.0001

1.15

2.55

1.11

2.53

0.5224

Optional matching

Pre-index exacerbations (mean, SD)

1.08

1.25

0.94

1.14

<0.0001

1.07

1.24

1.05

1.23

0.5276

Pre-index exacerbations, ≥1 (n, %)

2337

61.7%

3795

58.9%

0.0060

2267

61.3%

2282

61.7%

0.7199

due to COPD related inpatient visit

426

11.2%

863

13.4%

0.0015

420

11.4%

447

12.1%

0.3291

due to COPD related ED visit

536

14.1%

938

14.6%

0.5615

523

14.1%

553

15.0%

0.3225

due to COPD outpatient/office visit + OCS and/or antibiotics

1797

47.4%

2575

40.0%

<0.0001

1732

46.8%

1663

45.0%

0.1073

Pneumonia diagnosis (n, %)

849

22.4%

1567

24.3%

0.0270

823

22.3%

867

23.5%

0.2230