Objective: The present study was conducted with the objective of analyzing the efficacy of triple-drug combination therapy (formoterol, ciclesonide, tiotropium) by comparing it with double drug combination therapy (formoterol, budesonide).Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted. Sixty patients were enrolled, and divided into two groups of thirty each; one group was treated with the double-drug and the other with a triple drug combination. FEV1 and FVC pre-and post-treatment in either group were assessed spirometrically. Score ranges of 0-10, 11-20 and 21-30 were allotted to mild, moderate and severe categories and results were analyzed statistically.Results: Of the 60 patients recruited, 61-70 y olds constituted the majority (35%) of the population. Males (63.3%) were more in number compared to females (36.6%). Twenty-three of thirty-eight men smoked (60.5%); there were no female smokers. Common symptoms included cough (93.3%), dyspnoea (85%), fever (45%) and haemoptysis (15%). Hypertension accounted for 70% of patient comorbidities, followed by diabetes (60%) and cardiovascular diseases (40%). Three months after treatment with triple therapy, a significant increase in the differences of means of both FEV1 (14.27) and FVC (14.90) values was observed. Further analysis based on score ranges demonstrated that triple therapy administration markedly reduced the number of patients suffering from severe COPD.Conclusion: Our comparative analysis indicated that triple therapy was more effective in improving lung function, enhancing patients’ quality of life (evidenced from score ranges) thereby reducing mortality. While much is known about the greater effectiveness of triple over dual therapy, researchers to formulate the most effective triple therapy are in progress.
Drug combination therapy increases successful drug repositioning
