Exacerbation Burden in COPD and Occurrence of Mortality in a Cohort of Italian Patients: Results of the Gulp Study

Pierachille Santus,1 Fabiano Di Marco,2 Fulvio Braido,3 Marco Contoli,4 Angelo Guido Corsico,5 Claudio Micheletto,6 Girolamo Pelaia,7 Dejan Radovanovic,1 Paola Rogliani,8 Laura Saderi,9 Nicola Scichilone,10 Silvia Tanzi,11 Manlio Vella,11 Silvia Boarino,11 Giovanni Sotgiu,9 Paolo Solidoro12 1Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Ospedale L. Sacco, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milano, Italy; 2Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano Pneumology, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy; 3Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), Respiratory Unit for Continuity of Care, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genova, Genova, Italy; 4Department of Translational Medicine, Respiratory Section, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; 5Department of Medical Sciences and Infective Diseases, Unit of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation and University of Pavia Medical School, Pavia, Italy; 6Cardio-Thoracic Department, Respiratory Unit, University Integrated Hospital, Verona, Italy; 7Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy; 8Department of Experimental Medicine, Unit of Respiratory Medicine, University of Rome ”Tor Vergata”, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital ”Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy; 9Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy; 10Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialist Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 11AstraZeneca Italia, Milan, Italy; 12Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, S.C. Pneumologia, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Torino, ItalyCorrespondence: Pierachille Santus, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G.B. Grassi 74, Milano, 20157, Italy, Tel +39 0239042801, Fax +39 0239042473, Email pierachille.santus@unimi.itObjective: To describe t