The Survival Rate of COPD Patients in Malaysia : EXACOS-MY study

<bold>Introduction:</bold> In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a single moderate exacerbation potentially influencing the trajectory of future exacerbations and mortality. The information on the survival rates of COPD patients in Malaysia who have experienced severe exacerbations is lacking. <bold>Objective:</bold> To analyse the survival rate of COPD patients in Malaysia. <bold>Methods:</bold> The EXACerbations and their OutcomeS among COPD patients in Malaysia (EXACOS-MY) is an observational cross-sectional study conducted in three tertiary hospitals in Malaysia from January 2018 to December 2022. Survival rate was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. <bold>Results:</bold> The study encompassed a total of 471 patients, with 85 recorded deaths, representing an 18.1% mortality rate. Among these fatalities, 62 were subjected to analysis. The study cohort consisted predominantly of males (93.55%) with an average age of 74.79 ± 9.24. Within this group, the mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 0.904 (n=42), and 38.7% received triple therapy. Nearly half (49.59%) of the participants had co-morbidities, primarily cardiometabolic diseases. The median survival time was approximately 6 years. The 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year survival rates for COPD patients in Malaysia were 82.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 70.3-89.8), 61.3% (95% CI: 48.0-72.1), and 17.7% (95% CI: 9.4-28.1), respectively. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> The study contributes valuable insights in the survival rates of COPD patients in Malaysia who had severe exacerbation. Approximately half of these individuals experiencing severe exacerbation succumb within about 6 years of diagnosis, highlighting the impact of the disease to the patients.