Baseline characteristics of the study population
| Placebo(n = 361) | Salmeterol(n = 372) | Fluticasone(n = 374) | Combination(n = 358) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; LABA, long acting β agonists; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; PEF, peak expiratory flow. | ||||
| Withdrawal after randomisation | 140 (39%) | 119 (32%) | 108 (29%) | 89 (25%) |
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 63.4 (8.6) | 63.2 (8.6) | 63.5 (8.5) | 62.7 (8.7) |
| Male, n (%) | 269 (75%) | 261 (70%) | 260 (70%) | 270 (75%) |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 171 (47%) | 191 (51%) | 198 (53%) | 186 (52%) |
| Mean (SD) pack years smoked | 43.4 (22.4) | 43.7 (21.9) | 41.5 (20.7) | 42.0 (22.4) |
| Previous ICS use, n (%) | 188 (52%) | 183 (49%) | 202 (54%) | 178 (50%) |
| Previous LABA use, n (%) | 136 (38%) | 156 (42%) | 148 (40%) | 151 (42%) |
| Mean (SD) pretreatment FEV1(% predicted) | 44.2 (13.7) | 44.3 (13.8) | 45.0 (13.6) | 44.8 (14.7) |
| Mean (SD) PEF (l/min) | 243 (89) | 235 (90) | 246 (90) | 247 (93) |