High peripheral eosinophil counts could help identify patients with COPD and eosinophilic inflammation, irrespective of asthma history, according to new research.
Researchers sought to determine the prevalence of eosinophilic inflammation among individuals with COPD by analyzing elevated fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels and peripheral eosinophil counts.
The analysis was based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007 to 2010 for 3,110,617 patients (mean age, 59.3 years; 64.4% male) with COPD.
All patients were age 40 or older and had a postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio less than 0.70.
