Background/PurposeEvidence for the effectiveness of the new multidimensional GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) classification is currently limited. The new classification has been validated in the United States and Europe, but validation in Asian patients is still lacking. We examined the abilities of the GOLD 2013 classification to predict clinical outcomes in Taiwanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsPatients with COPD were recruited from January 2006 to December 2012 and followed up for exacerbation and mortality. The predictive abilities of various assessments were compared through logistic regression analysis using receiver operating curve (ROC) estimations and area under the curve (AUC).ResultsA total of 471 patients with COPD were analyzed. The GOLD 2013 groups at high risk of exacerbation (C and D) experienced a higher average number of exacerbations per year (2.1 ± 3.1 vs. 0.3 ± 1.0, p