Anticholinergics, not beta-agonists, reduce exacerbations in COPD

Bronchodilators in COPD: Impact of β-agonists and anticholinergics on severe exacerbations and mortality

This review summarizes the long-term clinical outcomes associated with beta-agonist and anticholinergic bronchodilator use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pooled data from randomized placebo-controlled trials of at least three months duration were used to evaluate the risk for COPD hospitalizations, respiratory mortality, and total mortality. The results show that...

Effect of long-acting beta-agonists on the frequency of COPD exacerbations: a meta-analysis.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE   Inhaled long-acting beta-agonists have been licensed for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) since the late 1990s, and they improve lung function and symptoms of dyspnoea. However, the evidence that long-acting beta-agonists alone can reduce the rate of COPD exacerbations is not conclusive. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate thei...

Aminophylline for COPD exacerbations? Not usually.

T heophylline is one of those medications that has intrigued and possibly confused clinicians and pharmacologists alike since the mid 19th century. Related agents caffeine and theobromine were used in the 1930s as bronchodilators, and theophylline developed an established place in the management of acute airflow obstruction associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)...

Inhaled drugs to reduce exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Most patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receive inhaled long-acting bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids. Conventional meta-analyses established that these drugs reduce COPD exacerbations when separately compared with placebo. However, there are relatively few head-to-head comparisons and conventional meta-analyses focus on single comparisons rather tha...

Acute Exacerbations in Copd