Prognosis

• increasing age ^{a b}
• worsening respiratory function ^a
• worsening physical disability ^{a b}
• heart failure ^a
• ischaemic heart disease ^a
• chronic renal failure ^a  

Why?

Heart failure, ischaemic heart disease and renal failure increase the risk of dying

Patient	Prognostic Factor	Outcome	CER	OR (95% CI)	NNF+ (95% CI)
severe COPD a	acute exacerbation due to congestive heart failure independent	survival at 6 months	67%	0.66 (0.45 to 0.97)	4 (3 to 49)
	cor pulmonale independent			0.67 (0.45 to 0.99)	4 (3 to 150)
severe COPD a	chronic renal failure independent	death at 3.4 years	84%	1.42 (1.02 to 1.96)	25 (14 to 390)
	ECG signs of RVH or overload independent			1.76 (1.30 to 2.38)	16 (12 to 32)
	ECG signs of ischaemic heart disease independent			1.79 (1.05 to 3.02)	16 (10 to 160)