Patients hospitalized with AECOPD will be eligible for enrollment ≤ 12 hours after admission. Demographics, blood tests, health related quality of life, comorbidity (Deyo-Charlson index), post bronchodilator spirometry, vital signs, dyspnea measured by MMRC, SaO2 and amount of inspired O2 to maintain SaO2> 90% at rest, serum fibrinogen levels, HBA1c, Biomarkers and Genetics will be obtained after enrollment and then patients will be randomized to standard AECOPD care plus roflumilast 500 ug daily vs. placebo. Patients will begin roflumilast or placebo < 12 hours of hospitalization for a total period of 180 days post enrollment. On discharge day (approximately day 3-4 after admission based on the recent COPD CRN zileuton study of hospitalized AECOPD), the measurements will be repeated as indicated (baseline measurements), with follow-up phone assessments at days 7, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 194 days post enrollment. An in-person clinical visit will be conducted at days 14 and 180 post randomization.