Relationship of blood eosinophil count to exacerbations in COPD

Background: Elevated blood eosinophils (eos) may be associated with exacerbations in COPD. We examined this relationship in a managed care organization. Methods: In this cohort study using administrative pharmacy and health care utilization data, we identified 5,915 patients aged ≥40 years with an encounter diagnosis (Dx) for COPD from 2009–2012, post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC Results: Greater eos counts at baseline were associated with an increased risk of COPD exacerbations in the follow-up year for patients with low neu counts ( Conclusions: Elevated blood eos count is an independent risk factor for COPD exacerbations in patients with lower neu. More studies are needed to confirm this relationship.