Table 1—

Summary of underlying causes of death reported for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)

First author [ref.]	Total sample size	Mean age yrs	Mean FEV₁ L and/or % pred	Mean follow-up yrs	Total deaths	Causes of death	Proportion of deaths %
Zielinski 21	215	66	0.72 L^# (pre- or post-BD not stated)	Not reported	215	Chronic respiratory failure	38
			0.72 L^# (pre- or post-BD not stated)			Heart failure	13
						Pulmonary infection	11
						Pulmonary embolism	10
						Cardiac arrhythmia	8
						Lung cancer	7
						Myocardial infarction	6
						Other	7
Garcia-Aymerich 23	340	69	36% (pre- or post-BD not stated)	1.1	98	Respiratory causes	74
			36% (pre- or post-BD not stated)			Cardiovascular causes	12
						Lung cancer	5
						Other cancer	2
						Other	6
Waterhouse 24	751	64	1.4 L; 50% (post-BD)	2.8	103	Respiratory	49
						Cardiac	22
						Lung cancer	11
						Other cancer	10
						Other	8
Keistinen 25	2727	50–54	Not reported	8.5	973	Coronary ischemia, stroke and other circulatory diseases	37
						COPD	22
						Lung cancer	13
						Other cancer	8
						Other pulmonary disease (including asthma)	4
						Other	16
Vilkman 26	2237	67	Not reported	Not reported	1070	Coronary heart disease and other circulatory causes	37
						COPD	30
						Lung cancer	12
						Other cancer	8
						Other	13
Anthonisen 27^¶	5887	48	2.7 L; 75% (post-BD)	5.0	149	Lung cancer	38
						Cardiovascular disease	25
						Other	37
Anthonisen 3^¶	5887	48	2.7 L; 78% (post-BD)	14.5	731	Lung cancer	33
						Cardiovascular disease (including coronary heart disease)	22
						Other cancer	21
						Respiratory causes other than lung cancer	8
						Other or unknown	16
Celli 28	625	64–67⁺	39–47% (post-BD)⁺	2.3	162	Respiratory failure	61
						Myocardial infarction	14
						Lung cancer	12
						Other	13

Data are presented as n or as a range, unless otherwise stated. FEV₁: forced expiratory volume in one second; % pred: % predicted; BD: bronchodilator. ^#: measurement taken at a median of 10 months before death; ^¶: both studies report data from the Lung Health Study, but at 5-yr 27 and 14.5-yr 3 follow-up; ⁺: range across three patient cohorts.