This study was designed to investigate long term treatment effects of short acting bronchodilators on respiratory symptoms, lung function, and the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and COPD combined with asthma (COPD + BA). The study involved 14 COPD patients and 16 COPD+BA patients, males and females (the average age, 60 yrs) with moderate to severe disease and the mPAP higher than 20 mm Hg. Clinical examination with scoring of cough, sputum, dyspnea, and lung auscultation signs; spirometry, ECG, echocardiography, chest X ray, and blood analysis were used. Clinical status and lung function were evaluated primarily and in 4, 12, and 24 wks; the mPAP was measured initially and in 12 and 24 wks. Before the study no one patient received persistent supporting therapy with bronchodilators, 15 COPD + BA patients and 7 COPD patients were given inhaled steroids. Persistent therapy of all the patients with Berodual 2 doses 4 times daily for 24 wks resulted in improvement in the clinical symptoms and lung function parameters, reduction in mPAP in both the groups but the results were better and they were reached faster in the patients with combined pathology. Thus, the regularly combined therapy with short acting β2 agonists and anticholinergics (Berodual) can be included in the algorithm of therapy of pulmonary hypertension in patients with COPD and COPD + BA.
Effect of long-term treatment with tiotropium bromide on lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (the UPLIFT trial)