[Survival in a cohort of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to GOLD 2017 classification]

Until now, there is no information on the evolution of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) according to the new GOLD classification. The objective of this study was to determine, in a cohort of patients with COPD followed by twenty years, the impact of the change to the new classification: survival by groups and their association with other variables such as comorbidities. COPD patients (GOLD 2017 definition) were evaluated with follow-up since January 1996 to December 2016. Conventional statistics and Log-Rank survival analysis (Mantel-Cox) were used. We analyzed 354 patients: age 66.5 ± 8.4, 66.7% men. Former smokers 74.2% (56 pack-year). Charlson index 4.1 ± 1.7. At the end of study 219 (62%) were alive and 135 (38%) died. The follow-up was 28 months (12-54.7). In the univariate and multivariate analysis, male sex and age were associated with higher mortality. Considering only the spirometry, to a worse degree of airflow obstruction, corresponded a lower survival. With the ABCD 2017 classification, the worst survival was observed in group D. Only in this group, survival is independent of the level of deterioration of FEV1 (p = 0.005). The new ABCD classification is a mortality predictor, only if it is associated to pulmonary function.