Bikov A, Lange P, Anderson JA, et al. - By analyzing data from 16,485 participants in the Study to Understand Mortality and Morbidity in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), researchers investigated whether the predictive value of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) is different than that of forced vital capacity (FVC), given a heightened risk for death, cardiovascular events, and COPD exacerbations has been reported in relation to impaired lung function in COPD. For each lung function parameter (FEV₁ %predicted, FVC %predicted, FEV₁/FVC), the patients were categorized into quintiles. A comparison was carried out between the four highest quintiles (Q2–Q5) vs the lowest (Q1). Relative to Q1 (< 53.5% FEV₁ predicted), increasing FEV₁ quintiles (Q2 53.5– 457.5% predicted, Q3 57.5– 461.6% predicted, Q4 61.6– 465.8% predicted, and Q5 ≥ 65.8%) were all identified to be related to significantly reduced all-cause mortality (20%, 28%, 23%, and 30% risk reduction, respectively). This study's findings demonstrate a stronger predictive ability of FEV₁ for all-cause mortality, compared with that of FVC, in moderate COPD patients with heightened cardiovascular risk. In addition, very different risks were evident in individuals with moderate COPD.