Impact of Airway-Occluding Mucus Plugs on Mortality in Patients with COPD According to Disease Severity: A Subset Analysis of Data From COPDGene

The significant mortality risk associated with multiple mucus-plugged segments at GOLD stage 1 supports the potential benefit of thiol-based mucolytic therapy. Targeted interventions to reduce mucus plugs could be crucial in improving survival outcomes for early-stage COPD patients.