Table 2 Clinical characteristics of COPD participants vary across clusters. The variables are sorted by descending significance

Participants, n

181

156

79

73

128

Sex, F, n (%)

80 (44.2)

63 (40.4)

42 (53.2)

31 (42.5)

78 (60.9)

Age, yr, mean (SD)

69.5 (7.8)

70.8 (7.3)

70.3 (7.9)

70.0 (8.1)

66.7 (8.8)

Cell types

 Lymphocyte percentage, mean (SD)

4.30E−04

28.07 (7.91)

26.97 (7.3)

23.13 (11.24)

24.84 (8.07)

30.91 (8.58)

 Neutrophil percentage, mean (SD)

5.09E−04

60.3 (8.42)

60.76 (7.95)

65.94 (12.95)

62.78 (8.59)

57.73 (9.56)

 Lymphocytes, K/µL, mean (SD)

4.74E−03

1.95 (0.65)

1.91 (0.61)

1.7 (0.79)

1.78 (0.6)

2.03 (0.7)

 Neutrophils, K/µL, mean (SD)

3.11E−03

4.32 (1.43)

4.4 (1.41)

5.36 (2.23)

4.7 (1.69)

3.93 (1.47)

Medications

 Oral corticosteroids, n (%)

4.30E−04

3 (1.67)

1 (0.65)

8 (10.3)

0 (0)

1 (0.78)

 Inhaled corticosteroids, n (%), mean (SD)

3.03E−03

9 (5.08)

2 (1.30)

9 (11.54)

10 (13.70)

3 (2.34)

Symptoms

 Distance walked, mean (SD)

2.73E−03

1384.88 (414)

1321.76 (403.63)

1142.14 (428.41)

1238.29 (407.99)

1520.71 (358.38)

 Change in distance walked, mean (SD)

3.03E−03

− 53.9 (276.36)

− 134.48 (289.36)

− 208.35 (321.96)

− 172.2 (299.63)

− 87.64 (323.56)

 SGRQ score: active, mean (SD)

3.11E−03

32.23 (27.42)

34.13 (29.9)

48.42 (31.68)

36.66 (25.38)

16.93 (20.25)

 SGRQ score: total, mean (SD)

1.27E−02

19.99 (18.17)

21.87 (19.37)

30.47 (22.96)

22.04 (17.54)

9.24 (12.51)

 MMRC dyspnea score, mean (SD)

1.27E−02

1.05 (1.29)

1.14 (1.28)

1.7 (1.6)

1.4 (1.29)

0.40 (0.86)

 CAT score, mean (SD)

0.017

9.65 (6.95)

10.69 (7.47)

13.43 (8.84)

9.56 (6.82)

6.61 (5.73)

Spirometry

 FRC/TLC ratio, Thirona, mean (SD)

1.25E−03

0.56 (0.11)

0.6 (0.11)

0.63 (0.12)

0.61 (0.12)

0.51 (0.08)

 FEV1, pre-BD, mean (SD)

0.018

1.95 (0.85)

1.88 (0.75)

1.62 (0.86)

1.77 (0.89)

2.53 (0.61)

 FEV1/FVC ratio, mean (SD)

0.020

0.64 (0.15)

0.63 (0.16)

0.59 (0.17)

0.58 (0.16)

0.78 (0.06)

 FEV1 percent predicted, mean (SD)

0.027

73.79 (24.65)

73.16 (24.49)

65.38 (26.96)

65.44 (27.12)

99.05 (11.33)

 FEV1/FVC ratio, pre-BD, mean (SD)

0.034

0.62 (0.15)

0.62 (0.15)

0.58 (0.16)

0.58 (0.16)

0.75 (0.06)

 DLCO percent predicted, adjusted, mean (SD)

0.042

76.69 (22.77)

70.84 (21.52)

69.09 (24.01)

70.52 (21.71)

92.08 (18.25)

 BODE, mean (SD)

4.95E−03

1.11 (1.58)

1.26 (1.6)

1.92 (2.05)

1.82 (1.85)

0.22 (0.64)