A retrospective analysis of the Understanding Potential Long-term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium (UPLIFT®) trial data was performed, grading patients by the 2013 Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) severity groups. The number of antibiotics/systemic corticosteroids courses and hospitalizations/emergency department (ED) visits for COPD in the preceding year, baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score were used to grade patients: 357 (6.3%), 1421 (24.9%), 299 (5.2%), and 3636 (63.7%) in Groups A-D, respectively. Mean FEV1 was higher and SGRQ scores lower with tiotropium than usual care (control) in all GOLD groups at all post-baseline time points during treatment. In the control group, mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) exacerbation rates per patient per year were highest in Group D (1.01 [0.96, 1.07]), similar in Groups B (0.63 [0.57, 0.69]) and C (0.72 [0.59, 0.87]), and lowest in Group A (0.48 [0.39, 0.59]). Tiotropium significantly prolonged time to first exacerbation versus control in Groups B and D (hazard ratios [95% CI]: 0.79 [0.69, 0.91] and 0.89 [0.82, 0.96]); in Groups A and C, similar effects were observed, reflecting the small size of these groups. The number of exacerbations per patient-year was lower with tiotropium than control in all GOLD groups (rate ratios 0.64, 0.72, 0.91, and 0.89 for Groups A-D; p < 0.005 for all but Group C (p = 0.4978). The incidence rate of major adverse cardiac events was higher in Group D than in Groups A-C but lower within the group in patients treated with tiotropium. In conclusion, tiotropium improved lung function and health status, and reduced exacerbation rates in patients in all GOLD groups.
Keywords: bronchodilator; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; copd; exacerbations; health status; lung function; quality of life.