Linear elevation of the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality relative to the tertiles of FEV₁ % predicted.

<p>The graphs show the linear elevation of the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause (upper) and cardiovascular (lower) mortality according to a decrease in FEV₁% predicted. Because the hazard ratio is an exponential value of a coefficient of the regression analyses, linearity of the coefficient could be assessed by a natural-log (LN) HR. First tertile (n = 1072; all-cause death = 33; cardiovascular death = 5), FEV₁% predicted > 104.7%; second tertile (n = 1105; all-cause death = 34; cardiovascular death = 9), FEV₁% predicted of ≤ 104.7% and >92.0%; and third tertile (n = 1076; all-cause death = 60; cardiovascular death = 20), FEV₁% predicted ≤ 92.0%. Data were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, pack-years, systolic blood pressure, alanine aminotransferase, serum creatinine, hemoglobin A1c, triglyceride, and total cholesterol.