Short-Term Impact of the Frequency of COPD Exacerbations on Quality of Life.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in the Simvastatin for the Prevention of Exacerbations in Moderate-to-Severe COPD (STATCOPE) and Azithromycin for Prevention of Exacerbations of COPD (MACRO) trials provide an opportunity to prospectively study the short-term effect of acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPDs).

Research Question: We hypothesized that those patients with frequent exacerbations (≥2 AECOPDs per patient year) would experience greater short-term decline in quality of life as measured by the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).

Study Design And Methods: A total of 1934 COPD patients were randomized in STATCOPE or MACRO.