Table 2 Pulmonary function characteristics of the three groups of patients with COPD defined by their baseline telomere length

T/S ratio^b

0.44 ± 0.09

0.66 ± 0.07

1.09 ± 0.21

<0.001

Sex (male%)

65

66

67

N.S.

Age (years)^b

59 ± 7

58 ± 8

55 ± 9

N.S.

BMI (Kg/m²)^b

28 ± 6

27 ± 5

27 ± 5

N.S.

Smoking habit^d

(pack-yrs)^bd

62 ± 28

63 ± 24

57 ± 23

N.S.

Active smoking (%)

42

56

52

N.S.

FEV₁ (L)^b

1.70 ± 0.71

1.64 ± 0.67

1.66 ± 0.74

N.S.

FEV₁ (% pred)^b

61 ± 23

59 ± 21

58 ± 21

N.S.

FVC (% pred)^b

89 ± 24

92 ± 22

87 ± 21

N.S.

FEV₁ / FVC (%)^b

55 ± 12

51 ± 13

53 ± 12

N.S.

PaO₂ (mmHg)^b

71.1 ± 15.7

71.9 ± 15.8

73.5 ± 11.5

N.S.

K_co (%)

74.1 ± 25.6

75.5 ± 24.1

75.2 ± 21.1

N.S.

IC/TLC (%)

37 ± 6

36 ± 8

35 ± 10

N.S.

6MWD (m)^b

517 ± 77

537 ± 95

513 ± 92

N.S.

mMRC dyspnea^c

1 (0–2)

1 (0–2)

1 (0–2)

N.S.

BODE index^c

1 (0–2)

1 (0–3)

1 (0–3)

N.S.

Charlson index^c

0 (0–1)

0 (0–1)

0 (0–1)

N.S.