The ETHOS trial examined whether inhaled triple therapy with budesonide, glycopyrrolate and formoterol could improve outcomes in symptomatic patients with moderate-to-very-severe COPD who had a history of exacerbations. In this prespecified mortality analysis, the investigators used final vital-status information from the 52-week randomized trial. The higher-dose budesonide triple-therapy regimen was associated with fewer deaths than glycopyrrolate/formoterol dual therapy. The comparison with budesonide/formoterol did not show a statistically significant mortality difference, and the lower-dose triple-therapy regimen did not demonstrate a significant mortality reduction versus the dual comparators. The authors therefore framed the mortality signal as supportive evidence for the role of triple therapy in an appropriately selected COPD population rather than proof that every patient should receive inhaled corticosteroids. For practice, the paper reinforces a broader point from the conference's COPD track: treatment choices should be linked to exacerbation risk, symptoms, lung function and likely treatment benefit, while weighing inhaled corticosteroid-related risks such as pneumonia. It is especially useful when discussing what additional evidence can be drawn from the ETHOS program beyond exacerbation prevention.