TABLE 2

Baseline characteristics of patients who completed or did not completed the trial

	Patients completing the trial			Dropouts
	Erdosteine group	Placebo group	p-value	Erdosteine group	Placebo group	p-value
Age years	63.8±8.3	64.1±8.2	ns	65.1±8.5	65.5±8.9	ns
Male	71.8	74.6	ns	73.1	75.2	ns
BMI kg·m⁻²	27.2±5.3	28.0±5.4	ns	27.4±5.4	27.9±5.9	ns
Smoking status
Current smoker	27.1	28.0	ns	29.6	28.8	ns
Ex-smoker	72.9	72.0	ns	70.4	71.2	ns
FEV₁ L	1.43±0.40	1.46±0.47	ns	1.36±0.38	1.43±0.41	ns
FEV₁ % pred	51.45±12.8	54.38±13.3	ns	51.36±11.2	50.34±11.7	ns
FVC L	2.74±0.93	2.74±0.94	ns	2.74±0.71	2.73±0.73	ns
Post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratio %	54.01±11.3	53.26±10.8	ns	51.88±11.1	52.39±10.1	ns

Data are presented as mean±sd or %, unless otherwise indicated. BMI: body mass index; FEV₁: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ns: not significant.