Subjects n | 50 358 | 126 997 | | 48 915 | 48 915 | |
Age years | 76.7±6.8 | 76.6±7.3 | 0.02 | 76.71±6.81 | 76.77±7.23 | 0.01 |
Females | 25 354 (50.3) | 53 668 (42.3) | 0.16 | 24 321 (49.7) | 24 222 (49.5) | 0.00 |
Low income based on ODB flag 1 year prior to index date | 14 839 (29.5) | 33 192 (26.1) | 0.08 | 14 264 (29.2) | 14 108 (28.8) | 0.01 |
Income quintile | | | | | | |
1 (lowest) | 12 433 (24.7) | 30 056 (23.7) | 0.02 | 12 000 (24.5) | 12 018 (24.6) | 0.00 |
2 | 11 305 (22.4) | 28 711 (22.6) | 0.00 | 10 981 (22.4) | 10 964 (22.4) | 0.00 |
3 | 9814 (19.5) | 24 559 (19.3) | 0.00 | 9556 (19.5) | 9497 (19.4) | 0.00 |
4 | 8809 (17.5) | 22 559 (17.8) | 0.01 | 8566 (17.5) | 8579 (17.5) | 0.00 |
5 (highest) | 7846 (15.6) | 20 653 (16.3) | 0.02 | 7663 (15.7) | 7709 (15.8) | 0.00 |
Missing data | 151 (0.3) | 459 (0.4) | 0.01 | 149 (0.3) | 148 (0.3) | 0.00 |
Rural setting | 8705 (17.3) | 22 421 (17.7) | 0.01 | 8448 (17.3) | 8531 (17.4) | 0.00 |
Charlson score | | | | | | |
0 | 11 910 (23.7) | 32 204 (25.4) | 0.04 | 11 709 (23.9) | 11 631 (23.8) | 0.00 |
1 | 10 117 (20.1) | 23 961 (18.9) | 0.03 | 9801 (20.0) | 9688 (19.8) | 0.01 |
2 | 7706 (15.3) | 18 222 (14.3) | 0.03 | 7437 (15.2) | 7490 (15.3) | 0.003 |
≥3 | 14 122 (28.0) | 30 657 (24.1) | 0.09 | 13 515 (27.6) | 13 688 (28.0) | 0.01 |
Missing data | 6503 (12.9) | 21 953 (17.3) | 0.12 | 6453 (13.2) | 6418 (13.1) | 0.00 |
Duration of COPD prior to index date | | | | | | |
<2 years | 12 851 (25.5) | 44 263 (34.9) | 0.20 | 12 723 (26.0) | 12 708 (26.0) | 0.00 |
2–5 years | 10 730 (21.3) | 25 494 (20.1) | 0.03 | 10 435 (21.3) | 10 416 (21.3) | 0.00 |
>5 years | 26 777 (53.2) | 57 240 (45.1) | 0.16 | 25 757 (52.7) | 25 791 (52.7) | 0.00 |
COPD exacerbation history 1 year prior to index date | | | | | | |
No exacerbations | 28 260 (56.1) | 79 591 (62.7) | 0.13 | 27 850 (56.9) | 27 850 (56.9) | 0.00 |
≥1 exacerbations not requiring presentation to hospital or ER | 9972 (19.8) | 22 827 (18.0) | 0.05 | 9698 (19.8) | 9698 (19.8) | 0.00 |
≥1 ER or hospital presentation | 12 126 (24.1) | 24 579 (19.4) | 0.12 | 11 367 (23.2) | 11 367 (23.2) | 0.00 |
COPD exacerbation 30 days prior to index date | 6419 (12.7) | 9023 (7.1) | 0.20 | 5686 (11.6) | 5614 (11.5) | 0.00 |
Previous ICU admission past 12 months | 5850 (11.6) | 9550 (7.5) | 0.15 | 5336 (10.9) | 5374 (11.0) | 0.00 |
Total number of non-benzodiazepine drugs received in the past 1 year | 12.2±6.3 | 10.4±5.7 | 0.31 | 12.00±6.11 | 11.98±6.18 | 0.00 |
Medications in past 180 days | | | | | | |
Short/long-acting β-agonists | 18 173 (36.1) | 42 184 (33.2) | 0.06 | 17 420 (35.6) | 17 317 (35.4) | 0.00 |
Short/long-acting anticholinergics | 16 268 (32.3) | 43 099 (33.9) | 0.03 | 15 711 (32.1) | 15 677 (32.0) | 0.00 |
Inhaled corticosteroids | 11 340 (22.5) | 24 435 (19.2) | 0.08 | 10 872 (22.2) | 10 882 (22.2) | 0.00 |
Combination inhaled corticosteroid–long-acting β-agonists | 12 313 (24.5) | 31 241 (24.6) | 0.00 | 11 809 (24.1) | 11 782 (24.1) | 0.00 |
Oral corticosteroids | 8214 (16.3) | 15 333 (12.1) | 0.13 | 7651 (15.6) | 7639 (15.6) | 0.00 |
Theophylline | 1754 (3.5) | 3686 (2.9) | 0.03 | 1683 (3.4) | 1672 (3.4) | 0.00 |
Respiratory antibiotics | 22 808 (45.3) | 47 177 (37.1) | 0.17 | 21 703 (44.4) | 21 718 (44.4) | 0.00 |
Non-psychotic psychiatric disease | 28 749 (57.1) | 53 196 (41.9) | 0.31 | 27 455 (56.1) | 27 535 (56.3) | 0.00 |
Alcoholism | 2415 (4.8) | 4918 (3.9) | 0.05 | 2306 (4.7) | 2283 (4.7) | 0.00 |
Dementia | 5958 (11.8) | 13 600 (10.7) | 0.04 | 5783 (11.8) | 5890 (12.0) | 0.00 |
Sleep disorder | 28 789 (57.2) | 63 817 (50.3) | 0.14 | 27 639 (56.5) | 27 711 (56.7) | 0.00 |
Ischaemic heart disease | 27 695 (55.0) | 60 704 (47.8) | 0.14 | 26 612 (54.4) | 26 781 (54.8) | 0.01 |
Congestive heart failure | 15 928 (31.6) | 36 354 (28.6) | 0.07 | 15 329 (31.3) | 15 499 (31.7) | 0.01 |
Year of cohort entry | | | | | | |
2003 | 7378 (14.7) | 16 438 (12.9) | 0.05 | 7236 (14.8) | 7351 (15.0) | 0.01 |
2004 | 9144 (18.2) | 14 979 (11.8) | 0.19 | 8636 (17.7) | 8702 (17.8) | 0.00 |
2005 | 8112 (16.1) | 13 577 (10.7) | 0.17 | 7705 (15.8) | 7651 (15.6) | 0.00 |
2006 | 7173 (14.2) | 14 166 (11.2) | 0.10 | 6923 (14.2) | 6908 (14.1) | 0.00 |
2007 | 6573 (13.1) | 15 860 (12.5) | 0.02 | 6482 (13.3) | 6400 (13.1) | 0.01 |
2008 | 6143 (12.2) | 19 845 (15.6) | 0.10 | 6103 (12.5) | 6087 (12.4) | 0.00 |
2009 | 5835 (11.6) | 32 132 (25.3) | 0.34 | 5830 (11.9) | 5816 (11.9) | 0.00 |
Cohort entry in flu season | 19 969 (39.7) | 48 531 (38.2) | 0.03 | 19 287 (39.4) | 19 149 (39.1) | 0.01 |