Baseline characteristics of patients with COPD and their caregivers
| Characteristics | Patients with COPD | Caregivers |
| Subjects n | 241 | 138 |
| Age years | 66.0±12.1 | 60.3±14.8 |
| Sex, male | 149 (61.8) | 41 (29.7) |
| BMI kg·m−2 | 26.5±7.7 | 27.3±5.8 |
| Smoker status | ||
| Current | 39 (16.2) | 30 (21.7) |
| Former | 181 (75.1) | 27 (19.6) |
| Never | 17 (7.1) | 68 (49.3) |
| FEV1 % of predicted | 39.0±18.5 | |
| FEV1/FVC % of predicted | 56.3±19.7 | |
| LTOT | 143 (59.3) | |
| NIV | 85 (35.3) | |
| Marital status | ||
| Married/living as a couple | 153 (63.5) | |
| Widowed | 38 (15.8) | |
| Separated/divorced | 35 (14.5) | |
| Single | 15 (6.2) | |
| Kin relationship with the patients | ||
| Spouse | 121 (87.7) | |
| Son/daughter | 11 (8.0) | |
| Other | 6 (4.3) |
Data are presented as mean±sd or n (%) unless otherwise stated. BMI: body mass index; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; LTOT: long-term oxygen therapy; NIV: noninvasive ventilation.