Individuals with COPD exacerbations requiring hospitalization were common and considered a predictor of reduced survival across all COPD stages, according to study results.

Hana Müllerova, PhD, of respiratory epidemiology at GlaxoSmithKline, and colleagues evaluated 2,138 patients with COPD from the ECLIPSE observational study. They determined the incidence, recurrence, risk factors, and mortality for those with exacerbations that necessitated hospital admissions vs. those not admitted during a 3-year follow up.