Pascoe SJ, et al. - Whether pneumonia risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be predicted with the help of blood neutrophils was investigated in this meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind clinical trials. The included trials were identified from the GlaxoSmithKline trial registry and had ≥ 1 inhaled corticosteroid-containing (ICS) arm (fluticasone propionate/salmeterol or fluticasone furoate/vilanterol), a control arm (non-ICS), pre-randomization blood neutrophil counts, ≥ 24-week duration. This analysis included 10 studies (1998 to 2011) including 11,131 patients. Findings revealed increased pneumonia risk in correlation with increased blood neutrophils in COPD, independent of ICS use. The possible utility of blood neutrophils was suggested as a marker in defining treatment pathways in COPD.