Five-Year Survival and Associated Factors in COPD Patients in Colombia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous inflammatory respiratory disorder characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms that negatively impact quality of life, reduce survival, and increase the risk of cardiovascular events. It is one of the leading causes of global morbidity and mortality.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD based on spirometry (FEV1/FVC < 0.7), who received care between 2005 and 2020. Adults over 40 years of age were included. Clinical, sociodemographic, and treatment-related variables were collected. Five-year survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves and stratified by age, sex, comorbidities, use of oxygen therapy, FEV1 ≤ 35%, and GOLD 2025 classification. The Log rank test was used to compare survival differences.

A total of 350 COPD patients were included; the mean age was 75.3 years (SD 11.77); 82.3% were over 65 years old and 56.6% were male. Five-year survival was 89.7%. No differences were observed between sexes (p = 0.558). Survival was lower in those over 65 years (87.9% vs 98.5%; p = 0.015), in patients with heart failure (78.4% vs 91.1%; p = 0.014), those using oxygen therapy (82.2% vs 94.6%; p = 0.002), and those with FEV1 ≤ 35% (88.8% vs 96.5%; p = 0.035). A trend toward lower survival was found in GOLD group E (84.9%) compared to GOLD A (93.3%) and B (87.7%) (p = 0.186).

The five-year survival rate in this cohort was 89.7%. Lower survival was observed in patients over 65 years of age, with heart failure, on home oxygen therapy, and with FEV1 ≤ 35%. A trend toward lower survival was identified in the GOLD group E.