Blood eosinophilia at long-term NIV setup is associated with longer overall survival in patients with COPD

Background: Long-term non-invasive (LT-NIV) ventilation can prolong overall survival and may reduce the number of exacerbations in patients with COPD. Eosinophilic phenotype has recently gained significant attention as a treatable trait in COPD. However, it is less known how this phenotype relates to exacerbations and mortality in those patients who are set up on LT-NIV. Methods: One hundred and ninety-one patients with COPD (65±8 years, 55% women) who were set up on LT-NIV during their stable state and followed up (36±27 months) at our tertiary centre were analysed. Eosinophilic phenotype was characterised by blood eosinophilia (≥300 cells/µL). Results: Thirty-five patients had blood eosinophilia (66±9 years, 60% women). There was no difference between patients with and without eosinophilia in sex, age, BMI, or blood gas values (p>0.05). However, FEV1 (% predicted) was lower (31±15 vs. 41±16, p