Twenty-year trends in 1-year mortality after COPD exacerbation: A Danish nationwide cohort study

<bold>Background:</bold> Information on temporal trends in COPD mortality is critical for understanding the impact of changes in the risk profile and care. <bold>Aim:</bold> To analyse the 20-year trends in COPD-related mortality, focusing on potential differences between age groups. <bold>Methods:</bold> All patients with first hospitalization with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) during 2003-2022 were identified in Danish nationwide registries. Patients were stratified according to age (<64, 65-70, 71-75, 76-81, 81<). We assessed the inverse propensity weighted one-year mortality adjusting for sex and comorbidities. <bold>Results:</bold> We identified 123,084 patients with AECOPD (median age: 75 years [67-82], 48% males). Median age increased over time (from 73.7 to 76.3 years). Over time, no major difference in 1-year mortality were observed for the total cohort (Figure 1). A trend towards a decline in mortality from 2007-2008 (31.2%) to 2017-2018 (27.4%) may be present, however, the decline diminished in the years of COVID. The same pattern was evident across age groups, with the most evident pre-COVID decline in mortality present in the group aged between 76-81 years. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> One-year mortality after first AECOPD is consistently high. Identification of risk factors and improvement of AECOPD care is warranted to prevent onset and improve prognosis. <fig><object-id>erj;66/suppl_69/PA3675/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig>