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A 55-year-old woman with COPD, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (congestive heart failure), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension presented with baseline dyspnea at rest that had worsened over the last week. She reported associated runny nose, congestion, and cough productive of green sputum. She smoked six cigarettes per day and denied alcohol, drugs, or occupational exposure. She was admitted and initiated on treatment for acute exacerbation of COPD; however, her condition did not improve with steroid, ceftriaxone, and nebulized albuterol and budesonide treatments. She had been diagnosed with asthma and COPD without ever undergoing pulmonary function testing. She presented 11 times to the ED with six hospital admissions in the last 1.5 years for worsening dyspnea at rest, wheezing, and lower extremity edema deemed secondary to exacerbation of her COPD or congestive heart failure. She reported medication compliance, which included fluticasone-vilanterol, tiotropium bromide, and furosemide. She repeatedly demonstrated mild vascular congestion on imaging without hyperinflation, a normal to mildly elevated brain natriuretic peptide (10 to 200 pg/mL), and dyspnea without hypoxia. She was treated normally for both COPD and congestive heart failure exacerbations simultaneously with methylprednisolone, albuterol, and furosemide with rapid improvement over the course of 1 to 2 days. No significant improvement was noted with steroid therapy, despite receiving them as an inpatient and outpatient. At the time of discharge, her symptoms would be at her baseline.

Background The clinical trial of tiotropium in COPD, UPLIFT, enrolled adults with a mean age of 65 years and moderate-to-severe airflow obstruction, based on criteria from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). For the UPLIFT cohort, however, GOLD-based criteria are not age-appropriate. Research Question Will the use of more age-appropriate criteria for airflow obstruction from the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) modify the spirometric classification of the UPLIFT cohort and, in turn, the mortality effect of tiotropium in COPD? Study Design and Methods Baseline spirometric classifications were first cross-tabulated by GLI- and GOLD-based criteria. Next, in GLI- and GOLD-based airflow obstruction, modified intention-to-treat analyses evaluated differences in time to death over 4 years, comparing tiotropium vs placebo. Because treatment response may differ by COPD severity, the mortality effect also was evaluated within stratum defined by GLI- and GOLD-based moderate and severe airflow obstruction. Results Of 5,898 participants with GOLD-based airflow-obstruction, staged as moderate in 2,739 (46.4%) and severe in 3,156 (53.5%), GLI-based criteria established airflow obstruction in 5,750 (97.5%), staged as moderate in 795 (13.5%) and severe in 4,947 (83.9%). Relative to placebo, tiotropium yielded statistically nonsignificant adjusted hazard ratios (adjHRs) (95% CI) for death of 0.91 (0.80-1.04) and 0.91 (0.79-1.03) in GLI- and GOLD-based airflow obstruction, respectively. However, statistically significant effect modification was observed, but only in GLI-based moderate and severe airflow-obstruction, with tiotropium yielding adjHRs for death of 0.53 (0.34-0.81) and 0.99 (0.86-1.13), respectively. The P value for interaction was .007. Interpretation Mortality reduction by tiotropium was only statistically significant in GLI-based moderate airflow-obstruction, a group that was underrepresented in UPLIFT because of severity misclassification by the original GOLD-based enrollment criteria.

COPD guidelines recommend the combined use of inhaled long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) and long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) if symptoms are not improved by a single agent. This systematic review tested the hypothesis that the bronchodilator effect of the LABA/LAMA combination, umeclidinium (UMEC)/vilanterol (VIL), would translate into better outcomes without incurring increased adverse events (AEs).This was a systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled or crossover trials (4 weeks) involving UMEC/VIL compared with its monocomponents, tiotropium, or fluticasone/salmeterol. Primary outcomes were trough FEV1, serious adverse events (SAEs), and serious cardiovascular events (SCVEs).Eleven trials from 10 studies (9,609 patients) showed that UMEV/VIL provided superior improvements in lung function compared with UMEC, VIL, tiotropium, and fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (mean trough FEV1, 60, 110, 90, and 90 mL, respectively; P.0001). Also, UMEC/VIL had a greater likelihood of demonstrating a minimal clinically important difference on the Transition Dyspnea Index compared with UMEC and VIL (number needed to treat for benefit [NNTB] = 14 and 10, respectively). UMEC/VIL therapy significantly reduced the risk of COPD exacerbations compared with UMEC and VIL (NNTB = 42 and 41, respectively). On the contrary, we noted no significant differences between UMEC/VIL and tiotropium with respect to dyspnea, health status, or risk of COPD exacerbation. Regarding safety issues, the incidence of AEs, SAEs, SCVEs, and mortality on treatment was similar across treatments, suggesting reduced safety concerns with the use of the UMEC/VIL combination.Once-daily inhaled UMEC/VIL showed superior efficacy compared with its monocomponents, tiotropium, and fluticasone/combination in patients with moderate to severe COPD.

BACKGROUND: Increased arterial stiffness as measured by aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) predicts cardiovascular events and mortality and is elevated in patients with COPD. Prior investigation suggests that a long-acting β-agonist (LABA)/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) lowers aPWV in patients with baseline aPWV ≥ 11 m/s. This study compared the effect of the ICS/LABA fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI), 100/25 μg, delivered via the ELLIPTA dry powder inhaler, with tiotropium bromide (TIO), 18 μg, on aPWV. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, blinded, double-dummy, parallel-group, 12-week study compared FF/VI and TIO, both administered once daily. The primary end point was aPWV change from baseline at 12 weeks. Safety end points included adverse events (AEs), vital signs, and clinical laboratory tests. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-seven patients with COPD and aPWV ≥ 11 m/s were randomized; 87% had prior cardiovascular events and/or risk. The mean difference in aPWV between FF/VI and TIO at week 12 was not significant ( P = .484). Because the study did not contain a placebo arm, a post hoc analysis was performed to show that both treatments lowered aPWV by an approximate difference of 1 m/s compared with baseline. The proportion of patients reporting AEs was similar with FF/VI (24%) and TIO (18%). There were no changes in clinical concern for vital signs or clinical laboratory tests. CONCLUSIONS: No differences on aPWV were observed between FF/VI and TIO. However, further studies with a placebo arm are required to establish definitively whether long-acting bronchodilators lower aPWV. Both treatments demonstrated an acceptable tolerability profile. TRIAL REGISTRY: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01395888; URL:www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Case Presentation A 70-year-old woman presented to the ED with oppressive ongoing chest pain that had lasted for 1 hour and was accompanied by intense sweating. The patient had a previous history of bronchial asthma, severe degenerative mitral regurgitation, and an ostium secundum atrial septal defect that had been treated 6 years ago with a prosthetic mechanical mitral valve, Bicarbon 25, and an atrial septal defect closure. She was being treated with ciclesonide, tiotropium bromide, olodaterol, theophylline, and warfarin, adjusted according to the international normalized ratio. Two weeks before the current event, because of trauma suffered in her leg, her primary care physician changed her treatment to subcutaneous enoxaparin, 80 mg once daily. Considering that her weight was 80 kg and her renal function was normal, the dose of enoxaparin prescribed was subtherapeutic for a mechanical prosthetic valve.

Cardiovascular disease is a frequent comorbidity in patients with COPD. Many physicians, particularly pulmonologists, are reluctant to use β-adrenoceptor blocking agents (β-blockers) in patients with COPD, despite their proven effectiveness in preventing cardiovascular events.The large (5,162 patients) phase III TONADO 1 and 2 studies assessed lung function and patient-reported outcomes in patients with moderate to very severe COPD receiving long-acting bronchodilator treatment across 1 year. This post hoc analysis characterized lung-function changes, patient-reported outcomes, and safety in the subgroup of patients receiving β-blockers in the studies.In total, 557 of 5,162 patients (11%) received β-blockers at baseline. Postbronchodilator FEVLung function, overall respiratory status, and safety of tiotropium/olodaterol were not influenced by baseline β-blocker treatment in patients with moderate to very severe COPD. Results from this large patient cohort support the cautious and appropriate use of β-blockers in patients with COPD and cardiovascular comorbidity.ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01431274 and No. NCT01431287; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Background Patients with postinfectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) usually have severe airflow obstruction and respond poorly to β-adrenergic drugs. However, the bronchodilator response to an anticholinergic agent such as tiotropium bromide is not known. We studied the acute bronchodilator response to tiotropium for up to 24 h in children with PIBO using spirometric and plethysmographic criteria. Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, prospective study was performed in patients with stable PIBO, 6 to 16 years of age. Standard spirometry and plethysmography were performed before and at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min and 24 h after inhalation of 18 μg of tiotropium or a placebo. After 7 to 14 days, the drugs were inverted, and the procedures were repeated. The changes in lung function parameters at each time point were compared with the baseline by analysis of variance and Tukey posttest, and the differences in all time points assessments vs baseline in tiotropium vs placebo groups were compared using the Friedman test. Results A total of 30 patients were enrolled in the study (23 boys, seven girls; aged 10.9 ± 2.8 years) with baseline lung function values (% predicted) of FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF25%-75%), total lung capacity (TLC), residual volume (RV), RV/TLC, airway resistance (Raw), and specific airway conductance (sGaw) of 75 ± 15, 48 ± 14, 59 ± 11, 22 ± 11, 120 ± 19, 281 ± 101, 49 ± 13, 250 ± 65, and 23 ± 9, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed after tiotropium inhalation in the following parameters compared with baseline: FVC at 60, 120, and 180 min and 24 h; FEV1 at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min; FEV1/FVC at 60, 120, and 180 min; FEF25%-75% at 60, 120, and 180 min; RV at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min; TLC at 30, 120, and 180 min; RV/TLC at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min; Raw at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min and 24 h; and sGaw at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min and 24 h. For the placebo group, no significant differences were observed in any lung function parameters at any time. The differences in the main functional measurements between the tiotropium and placebo groups were statistically significant. Conclusions Tiotropium acutely decreased airway obstruction and air trapping for up to 24 h in children with PIBO.

Background: Disease progression in COPD is associated with a decline in exercise performance over time. We assessed whether tiotropium might mitigate this by determining its effect on treadmill endurance time (ET) over 2 years. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of tiotropium, 18 m g daily, in patients with COPD (FEV 1 /FVC , 70%; postbronchodilator FEV 1 , 65%). The primary end point was ET at 90% of baseline maximum work rate at 96 weeks. Secondary end points were ET at other visits, ET by smoking status, spirometry, and St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Results: A total of 519 patients were randomized (tiotropium 260, placebo 259). Mean age was 65 years, 77% were men, 34% were continuing smokers, and mean FEV 1 was 1.25 L (44% predicted). Signifi cantly more patients discontinued placebo (hazard ratio [95% CI], 0.61 [0.44-0.83]). Baseline ET was 301 s (improvement tiotropium/placebo was 13% overall; P 5 .009; 18% at 48 weeks, P 5 .004; 13% at 96 weeks, P 5 .106). In patients with baseline ET between 2 and 10 min (n 5 404), improvement at 96 weeks was 19% ( P 5 .04). Current smokers had higher ET with tiotropium vs placebo ( P 5 .018). FEV 1 /FVC improved with tiotropium ( P , .01). SGRQ total score at 96 weeks improved with tiotropium vs placebo by 4.03 units ( P 5 .007). Conclusions: Treadmill ET was numerically greater over 2 years with tiotropium vs placebo. However, the 96-week difference was not statistically signifi cant. Spirometry and health status also improved with tiotropium over 2 years, attesting to the benefi ts of long-acting bronchodilator therapy. Trial registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00525512; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov CHEST 2013; 144(2):490–497

Background There is still a lack of data on the seasonality of exacerbations of COPD based on large randomized studies using COPD exacerbations as primary end points. The objective of this study was to assess the seasonal pattern of moderate and severe exacerbations and analyze the influence of associated baseline factors. We also determined the timing of second exacerbations and the potential impact of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic on exacerbations. Methods Analyses of exacerbation rates across treatment groups were adjusted for differing times on treatment by means of descriptive statistics based on the 1-year Prevention of Exacerbations with Tiotropium in COPD (POET-COPD) trial, in which exacerbations were the primary end point. Results Of the 7,376 patients who were randomized, a total of 4,411 exacerbations were reported in 2,691 patients. Mean monthly exacerbation rates during winter were 2.16-fold higher than during summer, regardless of baseline characteristics (age, sex, COPD severity, smoking status, BMI, inhaled corticosteroid use, cardiovascular comorbidity, concomitant cardiovascular medication). Second exacerbations after a previous event in October to March occurred 1 month earlier than during the warmer half of the season. The portion of exacerbation-related hospitalizations remained constant throughout the year. Most exacerbations were treated with antibiotics and reached a peak in the colder season. All-cause mortality showed a seasonal pattern similar to exacerbations. The 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic was not associated with an increase in exacerbation rates or deaths. Conclusions This analysis presented a marked impact of season on exacerbation outcomes, antibiotic treatment, timing of second exacerbations, and all-cause mortality. Trial Registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00563381; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov

Background Bronchodilators are central to the symptomatic management of patients with COPD. Previous data have shown that inhaled indacaterol improved numerous clinical outcomes over placebo. Methods This systematic review explored the efficacy and safety of indacaterol in comparison with tiotropium or bid long-acting β 2 -agonists (TD-LABAs) for treatment of moderate to severe COPD. Randomized controlled trials were identified after a search of different databases of published and unpublished trials. Results Five trials (5,920 participants) were included. Compared with tiotropium, indacaterol showed statistically and clinically significant reductions in the use of rescue medication and dyspnea (43% greater likelihood of achieving a minimal clinically important difference [MCID] in the transitional dyspnea index [TDI]; number needed to treat for benefit [NNTB] = 10). Additionally, the MCID in health status was more likely to be achieved with indacaterol than with tiotropium (OR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.22–1.68; P = .00001; NNTB = 10). Trough FEV 1 was significantly higher at the end of treatment with indacaterol than with TD-LABAs (80 mL, P = .00001). Similarly, indacaterol significantly improved dyspnea (61% greater likelihood of achieving an MCID in TDI, P = .008) and health status (21% greater likelihood of achieving an MCID in St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, P = .04) than TD-LABA. Indacaterol showed similar levels of safety and tolerability to both comparators. Conclusions Available evidence suggests that indacaterol may prove useful as an alternative to tiotropium or TD-LABA due to its effects on health status, dyspnea, and pulmonary function.CHEST 2012; 142(5):1104–1110

Long-acting bronchodilators, including long-acting betaWe identified a cohort of new users of long-acting bronchodilators between 2002 and 2012, age 55 or older, from the United Kingdom's Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Patients initiating tiotropium were matched on high-dimensional propensity scores and prior inhaled corticosteroid use with patients initiating LABAs, and followed for 1 year for the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmia, and pneumonia.A total of 26,442 tiotropium initiators were matched to 26,442 LABA initiators, mainly single inhalers combined with inhaled corticosteroids. The hazard ratio of acute myocardial infarction associated with tiotropium initiation, relative to LABA initiation, was 1.10 (95% CI, 0.88-1.38), whereas for stroke it was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.78-1.34), for arrhythmia 0.81 (95% CI, 0.60-1.09), and heart failure 0.90 (95% CI, 0.79-1.02). The incidence of pneumonia was significantly less with tiotropium (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72-0.92).COPD treatment initiation with tiotropium compared with LABA does not increase cardiovascular risk in the first year of treatment. The risk of pneumonia is higher with LABA, a likely effect of the inhaled corticosteroids present in many LABA inhalers used in real world clinical practice.

The efficacy and safety of aclidinium bromide bid, a novel, long-acting, muscarinic antagonist, was assessed in patients with moderate to severe COPD.In this phase IIa randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, crossover trial, patients with moderate to severe COPD received aclidinium 400 μg bid, tiotropium 8 μg once daily, and placebo for 15 days, with a 9- to 15-day washout between treatment periods. Treatments were administered through the Genuair or HandiHaler dry powder inhalers. The primary end point was mean change from baseline in FEV(1) AUC(0-12/12h) (area under the curve where the numbers represent the time period for which data were collected divided by the number of hours over which the data are averaged [eg, 0-12 h postdose divided by 12 h]) on day 15. Secondary end points were changes from baseline in FEV(1) AUC(12-24/12h), FEV(1) AUC(0-24/24h), morning predose FEV(1), peak FEV(1), and COPD symptom scores.Thirty patients with COPD were randomized, and 27 completed the study. Mean change from baseline in FEV(1) AUC(0-12/12h) at day 15 was significantly greater for aclidinium and tiotropium over placebo (P.0001). Mean changes from baseline in FEV(1) AUC(12-24/12h), FEV(1) AUC(0-24/24h), morning predose FEV(1), and peak FEV(1) at day 15 were significantly greater for aclidinium and tiotropium over placebo (P.0001 for all except P.001 for FEV(1) AUC(12-24/12h) tiotropium vs placebo). Improvements were significantly greater with aclidinium vs tiotropium on day 1 for all of the normalized AUC values of FEV(1) as well as on day 15 for FEV(1) AUC(12-24/12h) (P.05 for all). COPD symptoms were significantly improved from baseline with aclidinium vs placebo (P.05) but not with tiotropium.In patients with COPD, aclidinium 400 μg bid compared with placebo provided clinically meaningful improvements in 24-h bronchodilation that generally were comparable to tiotropium 18 μg daily but with significant differences in favor of aclidinium observed in the average nighttime period. Larger studies with longer treatment duration are ongoing to confirm the efficacy of aclidinium 400 μg bid on bronchodilation and COPD symptoms.ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00868231; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Background Pneumonia is an important complication of COPD and is reported more often in patients receiving inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). Little is known about the clinical course and factors predisposing to pneumonia in patients with COPD. We investigated patient characteristics and symptoms occurring before pneumonia reports in the Investigating New Standards for Prophylaxis in Reduction of Exacerbations (INSPIRE) study. Methods This was a 2-year, double-blind, double-dummy parallel study of 1,323 patients randomized to salmeterol/fluticasone propionate 50/500 μg bid (SFC) or tiotropium 18 μg once daily (Tio). Baseline demographics, including serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, were measured, and daily record cards (DRCs) were completed. Results We identified 87 pneumonia reports from adverse event records (SFC = 62; Tio=25) in 74 patients (SFC = 50; Tio=24), compared with 2,255 exacerbations (SFC = 1,185; Tio=1,070). Pneumonia was more common in patients with severe dyspnea and in those with a baseline CRP level > 10 mg/L. Numbers of de novo pneumonias (events that were not preceded by symptoms of an exacerbation) were similar between treatment groups, but pneumonia was more likely after either a treated or untreated unresolved exacerbation in patients receiving ICSs (SFC = 32; Tio=7). Similar results were seen when analysis was confined to radiologically confirmed events. Conclusions Pneumonia is much less frequent than exacerbation in COPD. The excess of events with ICS treatment appears to be associated with protracted symptomatic exacerbations. Earlier identification and treatment of these events to prevent pneumonia merits further investigation. Trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00361959; Study No.: SC040036; URL: clinicaltrials.gov

Lowest receptor occupancy for a drug occurs at trough prior to the next dose. Previous studies have focused on the effects of triple therapy at peak dose intervals using forced expiratory maneuvers. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) and body plethysmography (PLETH) are more sensitive than spirometry to assess inhaled therapies in COPD.Nineteen patients with COPD (FEV(1)/FVC ratio0.7; FEV(1)60%) completed a double-blind randomized crossover trial of tiotropium 18 microg/d or placebo for 2 weeks each, with a 1-week washout. Prior to this procedure, there was a nonrandomized 4 week run-in of budesonide/formoterol 200/6 2 puffs bid, which continued throughout the study. Spirometry, IOS, and PLETH were performed both before pre- and post-budesonide/formoterol run-in and at trough following the first and last dose of tiotropium (ie, 24 h posttiotropium and 12 h post-budesonide/formoterol).Mean +/- SEM for age and FEV(1) were 65 +/- 2 years and 42 +/- 2%, respectively. Following initial budesonide/formoterol, there were no significant changes in spirometry; however, all measures of IOS and PLETH deteriorated (P.01 for all outcomes). Compared with placebo, tiotropium was additive to budesonide/formoterol after single and chronic dosing measured by FEV(1) (P.001 and P = .014, respectively) and forced expiratory flow, midexpiratory phase (P = .001; P= .026), whereas specific airway resistance, reactance, resonant frequency, and area under the reactance curve showed additive benefits at a single dose only.Budesonide/formoterol caused an unexpected worsening of IOS and PLETH outcomes compared with a washed-out baseline in the nonplacebo-controlled run-in. This finding was not observed with spirometry. Subsequent addition of tiotropium improved lung function with all techniques after a single dose and for spirometry after chronic dosing. These paradoxical findings may reflect beta2-adrenoceptor downregulation and muscarinic 3 receptor cross talk. Placebo-controlled studies are required to explore this result.

Background The clinical trial safety database for tiotropium has been augmented with a 4-year trial in patients with COPD, which provides an opportunity to better evaluate the cardiovascular (CV) profile of tiotropium. Methods Trials with the following criteria were considered: ≥ 4 weeks, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were similar, including spirometry-confirmed COPD, ≥ 10 pack-year smoking, and age ≥ 40 years. Adverse events were collected throughout each trial using standardized case report forms. Incidence rates (IRs) were determined from the total number of patients with an event divided by total time at risk. Rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CI for tiotropium/placebo were calculated. IRs were determined for all-cause mortality and selected CV events, including a composite CV end point encompassing CV deaths, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, and the terms sudden death, sudden cardiac death, and cardiac death. Results There were 19,545 patients randomized: 10,846 (tiotropium) and 8,699 (placebo) from 30 trials. Mean FEV1 = 1.15 ± 0.46 L (41 ± 14% predicted), 76% men, mean age=65 ± 9 years. Cumulative exposure to study drug was 13,146 (tiotropium) and 11,095 (placebo) patient-years. For all-cause mortality, the IR was 3.44 (tiotropium) and 4.10 (placebo) per 100 patient-years (RR [95% CI] = 0.88 [0.77–0.999]). IR for the CV end point was 2.15 (tiotropium) and 2.67 (placebo) per 100 patient-years (RR [95% CI] = 0.83 (0.71–0.98]). The IR for the CV mortality excluding nonfatal MI and stroke was 0.91 (tiotropium) and 1.24 (placebo) per 100 patient-years (RR [95% CI] = 0.77 [0.60–0.98]). For total MI, cardiac failure, and stroke the RRs (95% CI) were 0.78 (0.59–1.02), 0.82 (0.69–0.98), and 1.03 (0.79–1.35), respectively. Conclusion Tiotropium was associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, CV mortality, and CV events.

To detect dynamic hyperinflation (DH) by evaluating reduction in inspiratory capacity (IC) during metronome-paced hyperventilation (MPH) in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, studied before and after treatment with tiotropium.IC and FEV(1) were measured before and immediately after MPH at two times resting the respiratory rate for 20 s in 60 COPD patients (28 men; mean age, 66 +/- 10 years [+/- SD]) before and after 30 days of treatment with tiotropium bromide, 18 mug. Patients were encouraged to maintain a constant tidal volume during MPH.At baseline, mean FEV(1) was 1.5 +/- 0.1 L (+/- SE) [57 +/- 1.6% of predicted], mean FVC was 2.6 +/- 0.1L (77 +/- 1.8% of predicted), and mean FEV(1)/FVC was 56 +/- 1%. After 180 mug of aerosolized albuterol sulfate, mean FEV(1) was 1.7 +/- 0.1 L (63 +/- 1.5% of predicted) [p0.001] and mean FEV(1)/FVC was 58 +/- 1%. Compared to baseline, after 30 days and 1.5 h after tiotropium there was an increase in IC of 0.18 +/- 0.04L (p0.0001); FEV(1) of 0.13 +/- 0.03 L (5.6 +/- 0.8% of predicted; p = 0.0002); FVC of 0.22 +/- 0.05 L (6.5 +/- 1.3% of predicted; p0.001); and decrease in end-expiratory lung volume (EELV)/total lung capacity (TLC) of - 3.1 +/- 0.6% (p = 0.0001); a decrease in end-inspiratory lung volume (EILV)/TLC of - 2.9 +/- 1.3% (p = 0.03); and no change in TLC (- 0.06 +/- 0.05 L). Results following MPH-induced DH at baseline and after 30 days of tiotropium were similar, with decreases in IC (- 0.35 +/- 0.03 L; p0.001); FEV(1) (- 0.05 +/- 0.04 L; p = 0.2); and FVC (- 0.22 +/- 0.03 L; p0.0001); no change in TLC; and increases in EELV/TLC (11.8 +/- 1.0% of predicted; p0.0001) and EILV/TLC (4.0 +/- 1.3% of predicted, p0.003).In patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, tiotropium did not reduce MPH-induced DH and reduction in IC, compared to baseline. However, because tiotropium induced bronchodilation and increased baseline IC, lower operational lung volumes may blunt the effect of MPH-induced DH. The noninvasive simplicity of MPH-induced DH provides a clinically useful screening surrogate to monitor changes in IC following treatment with tiotropium.

The combination of short-acting beta(2)-agonists and anticholinergics in the treatment of COPD has been well documented, but data on combination of long-acting agents are lacking.A randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover study was conducted comparing 2-week treatment periods of tiotropium alone to tiotropium plus formoterol once or twice daily following a 2-week pretreatment period with tiotropium. Lung function (FEV(1), FVC, and resting inspiratory capacity [IC]) serially over 24 h was measured in 95 patients with stable COPD at baseline and after 2 weeks of each treatment.Mean baseline FEV(1) was 1.05 L (38% of predicted). There was a circadian variation in FEV(1), FVC, and IC at baseline that was maintained during all treatment periods. Average FEV(1) (0 to 24 h) improved by 0.08 L with tiotropium, by 0.16 L with tiotropium plus formoterol once daily, and by 0.20 L with tiotropium plus formoterol twice daily (p0.01 for all comparisons). Compared with tiotropium alone, add-on formoterol in the morning produced improvement in FEV(1), FVC, and IC for12 h. The second add-on dose of formoterol in the evening caused further improvement in FEV(1) for 12 h, but in FVC and IC for12 h. Peak increase in FEV(1) was 0.23 L (22% of baseline) with tiotropium and 0.39 L (37% of baseline) with tiotropium plus formoterol (p0.0001). Compared with tiotropium alone, add-on formoterol once and twice daily reduced the use of rescue salbutamol during the daytime (p0.01) and with add-on formoterol twice daily also during the nighttime (p0.05). The combination of tiotropium and formoterol was well tolerated.In the treatment of COPD, there is benefit from adding formoterol once or twice daily to tiotropium once daily in terms of improvement in airflow obstruction, resting hyperinflation, and the use of rescue salbutamol.

To assess the discriminative properties of the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D) with respect to COPD severity according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria in a large multinational study.Baseline EQ-5D visual analog scale (VAS) scores, EQ-5D utility scores, and St. George Respiratory Questionnaire scores were obtained from a subset of patients in the Understanding the Potential Long-term Impact on Function with Tiotropium trial, which was a 4-year placebo-controlled trial designed to assess the effect of tiotropium on the rate of decline in FEV(1) in COPD patients agedor = 40 years, an FEV(1) of70% predicted, an FEV(1)/FVC ratio ofor = 70%, and a smoking history of/= 10 pack-years.A total of 1,235 patients (mean post bronchodilator FEV(1), 48.8% predicted) from 13 countries completed the EQ-5D. The EQ-5D VAS and utility scores differed significantly among patients in GOLD stages 2, 3, and 4, also after correction for age, sex, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and comorbidity (p0.001). The mean EQ-5D VAS scores for patients in GOLD stages 2, 3, and 4 were 68 (SD, 16), 62 (SD, 17), and 58 (SD, 16), respectively. The mean utility scores were 0.79 (SD, 0.20) for patients in GOLD stage 2, 0.75 (SD, 0.21) for patients in GOLD stage 3, and 0.65 (SD, 0.23) for patients in GOLD stage 4. Effect sizes for the difference in utility scores between patients in GOLD stages 3 and 4 were more than twice as high as those for the difference between patients in GOLD stages 2 and 3. Gender, postbronchodilator FEV(1) percent predicted, the number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits in the year prior to baseline measurements, measures of comorbidity, and BMI were independently associated with EQ-5D utility. EQ-5D utility scores also differed between patients from different countries. French patients especially had lower utility scores than US patients. Utility scores calculated with the US value set were on average 5% higher than those calculated with the UK value set.Increasing severity of COPD was associated with a significant decline in EQ-5D VAS scores and utility scores. These results demonstrate that a generic instrument can assess COPD impact on quality of life and that the scores discriminate between patient groups of known severity. These utility scores will be useful in cost-effectiveness assessments.

The role of tiotropium for the treatment of asthma has not yet been clearly defined. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy and safety of tiotropium in patients with asthma.Randomized placebo-controlled trials were included. Primary outcomes were peak and trough FEV1 and morning and evening peak expiratory flow (PEF).Thirteen studies (4,966 patients) were included. Three different therapeutic protocols were identified. Tiotropium as an add-on to inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) showed statistically and clinically significant increases in PEF (22-24 L/min) and FEV1 (140-150 mL). Additionally, tiotropium decreased the rate of exacerbations (number needed to treat for benefit [NNTB], 36) and improved asthma control. The use of tiotropium in patients poorly controlled despite the use of medium to high doses of ICS was not inferior to salmeterol. Finally, the use of tiotropium as an add-on to ICS/salmeterol combination increased pulmonary function to a clinically significant magnitude, reduced asthma exacerbations (relative risk, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.94; P.02; I2 = 0%; NNTB, 17), and improved asthma control compared with ICS/salmeterol. Tiotropium was well tolerated, and no potential safety signals were observed.Tiotropium resulted noninferiorly to salmeterol and superiorly to placebo in patients with moderate to severe asthma who were not adequately controlled by ICS or ICS/salmeterol. Major benefits were concentrated in the increase in lung function and in the case of patients with severe asthma, in the reduction of exacerbations.

Tiotropium bromide is a novel, inhaled, once-daily anticholinergic bronchodilator that has recently been approved in the United States for use in patients with COPD. Its unique feature is the persistence of bronchodilation for24 h due to prolonged M(3) muscarinic receptor blockade. Tiotropium provides significant improvement in spirometry and lung volumes. Clinically relevant outcomes such as the relief of dyspnea, improvement in the quality of life (health status), and reductions in the frequency and severity of acute exacerbations have been consistently obtained with tiotropium in clinical trials. In head-to-head trials, tiotropium administered once daily resulted in bronchodilation (peak, trough, and area under the curve) that was statistically superior to ipratropium administered four times daily and salmeterol administered twice daily. Clinical outcomes (dyspnea, quality of life, exacerbation frequency) were numerically but not always statistically better with tiotropium than salmeterol. Long-term studies of the combination of tiotropium with adrenergic agents, methylxanthines, or inhaled corticosteroids have not been reported in full. Several 1-year studies demonstrate that the only significant side effect of tiotropium was dryness of the mouth, which occurred in approximately 10 to 16% of patients; it is well tolerated by patients and safe.

To assess the effects of tiotropium on lung mucociliary clearance in COPD.Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study.Outpatients of an urban-area university teaching hospital.Thirty-four patients with COPD aged 40 to 75 years classified equally into two groups.Single (18 microg) daily dose of tiotropium inhalation capsules or of placebo for 21 days.Six-hour tracheobronchial clearance of inhaled 99mTc-labeled polystyrene particles using a 48-h retention measurement to determine the "nontracheobronchial" deposition fraction.Test radioaerosol penetration into the lungs increased significantly (p0.003) as did FEV1 (p0.006) in the tiotropium-treated patients, but measured mucociliary clearance was not significantly changed despite the increased pathway length for clearance (mean +/- SE area under the tracheobronchial retention curve changed from 442 +/- 22 to 453 +/- 20%/h). Smaller (nonsignificant) decreases of radioaerosol penetration and FEV1 occurred in the placebo group together with a small (nonsignificant) decrease in the area under the retention curve.Twenty-one days of inhaled tiotropium, 18 microg/d, as a dry powder does not retard mucus clearance from the lungs.

Bronchodilators form the foundation of symptomatic treatment of COPD. Several long-acting bronchodilators are now available for use in COPD, but publications of large-scale studies of their efficacy have, for the most part, postdated the publication of major clinical guidelines. This article provides a critical review of large (or =50 patients), double-blind, clinical trials of three long-acting bronchodilators in COPD (the once-daily anticholinergic tiotropium, and the twice-daily beta(2)-agonists formoterol and salmeterol) within the context of the objectives of treatment defined by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines. Fourteen published studies were identified, of which 12 studies were published since the release of the GOLD guidelines. All three long-acting bronchodilators were found to effectively improve lung function; however, they differed in their effects on outcomes other than bronchodilation, with salmeterol demonstrating inconsistent efficacy compared with placebo in preventing exacerbations and improving health status, and only tiotropium demonstrating consistent superiority to the short-acting bronchodilator ipratropium. Based on this review, a treatment algorithm for the introduction of long-acting bronchodilators to patients with COPD is proposed, which includes the use of long-acting bronchodilators early in the treatment algorithm.

Background: In patients with COPD, changes in inspiratory capacity (IC) have shown a higher correlation to patient-focused outcomes, such as dyspnea with exercise, than other standard spirometric measurements. Changes in IC reflect changes in hyperinflation. Tiotropium is a once-daily inhaled anticholinergic that has its effect through prolonged M3 muscarinic receptor antagonism and has demonstrated sustained improvements in spirometric and health outcomes. We sought to evaluate changes in resting IC and lung volumes after long-term administration of tiotropium. Methods: To evaluate the effect of tiotropium, 18 g/d, on IC, a 4-week, randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 81 patients with stable COPD. At each of the visits (weeks 0, 2, and 4) FEV1, FVC, IC, slow vital capacity (SVC), and thoracic gas volume (TGV) were measured prior to study drug (– 60 and – 15 min) and after study drug (30 min, 60 min, 120 min, and 180 min). Results: Mean age was 64 years; 62% were men. Mean baseline FEV1 was 1.12 L (43% predicted). The mean differences (tiotropium placebo) in FEV1 trough (morning before drug), peak, and area under the curve over 3 h values (adjusted for baseline and center differences) at week 4 were 0.16 L, 0.22 L, and 0.22 L, respectively (p < 0.01 for all); differences in IC for these variables were 0.22 L, 0.35 L, and 0.30 L (p < 0.01 for all). Differences in TGV were – 0.54 L, – 0.60 L, and – 0.70 L, respectively (p < 0.01 for all). The percentage improvement in area under the curve above baseline with tiotropium was similar among FEV1 and lung volumes (FEV1, 18%; FVC, 20%; SVC, 16%; IC, 16%; TGV, 14%). Conclusions: Observed improvements in IC and reductions in TGV with once-daily tiotropium reflect improvements in hyperinflation that are maintained over 24 h. (CHEST 2003; 124:1743–1748)

Background: Tiotropium, a once-daily anticholinergic, and salmeterol represent two inhaled, long-acting bronchodilators from different pharmacologic classes. A trial was designed to examine the efficacy and safety of both compounds with multiple outcome measures, including lung function, dyspnea, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with COPD. Methods: A 6-month, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study of tiotropium, 18 g once daily via dry-powder inhaler, compared with salmeterol, 50 g bid via metered-dose inhaler, was conducted in patients with COPD. Efficacy was assessed by 12-h monitoring of spirometry, transition dyspnea index (TDI), and the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Results: A total of 623 patients participated (tiotropium, n 209; salmeterol, n 213; and placebo, n 201). The groups were similar in age (mean, 65 years), gender (75% men), and baseline FEV1 (mean, 1.08 0.37 L; percent predicted, 40 12% [ SD]). Compared with placebo treatment, the mean predose morning FEV1 following 6 months of therapy increased significantly more for the tiotropium group (0.14 L) than the salmeterol group (0.09 L; p < 0.01). The average FEV1 (0 to 12 h) for tiotropium was statistically superior to salmeterol (difference, 0.08 L; p < 0.001). Tiotropium improved TDI focal score by 1.02 U compared with placebo (p 0.01), whereas there was no significant change in TDI focal score with salmeterol (0.24 U). Tiotropium was superior to salmeterol in improving TDI focal score (p < 0.05). At 6 months, the mean improvement in SGRQ total score vs baseline was tiotropium, 5.14 U (p < 0.05 vs placebo); salmeterol, 3.54 U (p 0.4 vs placebo); and placebo, 2.43 U. A statistically higher proportion of patients receiving tiotropium achieved at least a 4-U change in SGRQ score compared to patients receiving placebo. Both active drugs reduced the need for rescue albuterol (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Tiotropium once daily produces superior bronchodilation, improvements in dyspnea, and proportion of patients achieving meaningful changes in HRQoL compared to twice-daily salmeterol in patients with COPD. (CHEST 2002; 122:47–55)

Study objective To compare the bronchodilator efficacyand safety of tiotropium and placebo. Design A3-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentertrial. Setting Outpatient. Patients Four hundred seventy patients with stable COPD (meanFEV 1 = 38.6% predicted). Interventions Tiotropium 18 μg (N = 279) or placebo (N = 191) given once dailyvia a lactose-based dry-powder inhaler device. Measurementsand results Spirometry was evaluated on days 1, 8, 50, and 92.Data were expressed as the mean trough ( ie , beforemorning dose; 23 to 24 h after previous dose) and average responseobserved in the 3 h after the dose was received. Tiotropiumproduced significant improvement in trough FEV 1 and FVC,averaging 12% greater than baseline on day 8; these improvements weremaintained on days 50 and 92. The average postdose FEV 1 was16% greater than baseline on day 1 and 20% greater than baseline onday 92; FVC was 17% greater than baseline on day 1 and 19% greaterthan baseline on day 92. Tiotropium was significantly more effectivethan placebo in both trough and average FEV 1 and FVCresponse (p Conclusions These data demonstrate that tiotropium is asafe and effective once-daily anticholinergic bronchodilator and shouldprove useful as first-line maintenance therapy inCOPD.

Disease progression in COPD is associated with a decline in exercise performance over time. We assessed whether tiotropium might mitigate this by determining its effect on treadmill endurance time (ET) over 2 years.This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of tiotropium, 18 μg daily, in patients with COPD (FEV1/FVClt; 70%; postbronchodilator FEV1lt; 65%). The primary end point was ET at 90% of baseline maximum work rate at 96 weeks. Secondary end points were ET at other visits, ET by smoking status, spirometry, and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).A total of 519 patients were randomized (tiotropium 260, placebo 259). Mean age was 65 years, 77% were men, 34% were continuing smokers, and mean FEV1 was 1.25 L (44% predicted). Significantly more patients discontinued placebo (hazard ratio [95% CI], 0.61 [0.44-0.83]). Baseline ET was 301 s (improvement tiotropium/placebo was 13% overall; P = .009; 18% at 48 weeks, P = .004; 13% at 96 weeks, P = .106). In patients with baseline ET between 2 and 10 min (n = 404), improvement at 96 weeks was 19% (P = .04). Current smokers had higher ET with tiotropium vs placebo (P = .018). FEV1/FVC improved with tiotropium (Plt; .01). SGRQ total score at 96 weeks improved with tiotropium vs placebo by 4.03 units (P = .007).Treadmill ET was numerically greater over 2 years with tiotropium vs placebo. However, the 96-week difference was not statistically significant. Spirometry and health status also improved with tiotropium over 2 years, attesting to the benefits of long-acting bronchodilator therapy.ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00525512; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Tiotropium has been shown to improve lung function, quality of life, and exacerbations and reduce mortality when compared with placebo in COPD. It remains unclear whether benefits are seen when tiotropium is used in conjunction with inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) plus long-acting β-agonists (LABAs).We performed a retrospective cohort study using a National Health Service database of patients with COPD in Tayside, Scotland, between 2001 and 2010 that is linked with databases regarding hospital admissions, pharmacy prescriptions, and death registries. The impact of the addition of tiotropium (Tio) to ICS + LABA therapy on all-cause mortality, hospital admissions for respiratory disease, and emergency oral corticosteroid bursts was evaluated. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated by Cox regression after inclusion of the following covariates: cardiovascular and respiratory disease, diabetes, smoking, age, sex, and deprivation index.A total of 1,857 patients were given ICS + LABA + Tio, and 996 were given ICS + LABA. Mean follow-up was 4.65 years. The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality for ICS + LABA + Tio vs ICS + LABA was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.57-0.75; P.001). Adjusted HRs for hospital admissions and oral corticosteroid bursts were 0.85 (95% CI, 0.73-0.99; P = .04) and 0.71 (95% CI, 0.63-0.80; P.001), respectively.The study suggests that the addition of tiotropium to ICSs and LABA therapy may confer benefits in reducing all-cause mortality, hospital admissions, and oral corticosteroid bursts in patients with COPD. Triple therapy is widely used in the real-life management of COPD, with only limited scientific support. The study supports the use of triple therapy in COPD and provides a platform for randomized controlled trials specifically addressing this topic.

Pneumonia is an important complication of COPD and is reported more often in patients receiving inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). Little is known about the clinical course and factors predisposing to pneumonia in patients with COPD. We investigated patient characteristics and symptoms occurring before pneumonia reports in the Investigating New Standards for Prophylaxis in Reduction of Exacerbations (INSPIRE) study.This was a 2-year, double-blind, double-dummy parallel study of 1,323 patients randomized to salmeterol/fluticasone propionate 50/500 μg bid (SFC) or tiotropium 18 μg once daily (Tio). Baseline demographics, including serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, were measured, and daily record cards (DRCs) were completed.We identified 87 pneumonia reports from adverse event records (SFC=62; Tio=25) in 74 patients (SFC=50; Tio=24), compared with 2,255 exacerbations (SFC=1,185; Tio=1,070). Pneumonia was more common in patients with severe dyspnea and in those with a baseline CRP level10 mg/L. Numbers of de novo pneumonias (events that were not preceded by symptoms of an exacerbation) were similar between treatment groups, but pneumonia was more likely after either a treated or untreated unresolved exacerbation in patients receiving ICSs (SFC=32; Tio=7). Similar results were seen when analysis was confined to radiologically confirmed events.Pneumonia is much less frequent than exacerbation in COPD. The excess of events with ICS treatment appears to be associated with protracted symptomatic exacerbations. Earlier identification and treatment of these events to prevent pneumonia merits further investigation.ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00361959; Study No.: SC040036; URL: clinicaltrials.gov.

A 6-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study was conducted in patients with COPD to compare lung function improvements of tiotropium, 18 microg qd, plus formoterol, 12 microg bid, to salmeterol, 50 microg bid, plus fluticasone, 500 microg bid.Following a screening visit, subjects entered a run-in period in which they received regular ipratropium. At randomization, patients were assigned to either tiotropium plus formoterol or salmeterol plus fluticasone. After 6 weeks of treatment, a 12-h lung function profile was obtained. The coprimary end points were FEV(1) area under the curve for the time period 0 to 12 h (AUC(0-12)) and peak FEV(1).A total of 729 patients were screened, and 605 patients were randomized and treated. A total of 592 patients (baseline FEV(1), 1.32 +/- 0.43 L/min [+/-SD]) were included in the analysis. After 6 weeks, the 12-h lung function profiles in the group receiving tiotropium plus formoterol were superior to those in the group receiving salmeterol plus fluticasone (mean difference in FEV(1) AUC(0-12), 78 mL [p = 0.0006]; mean difference in FVC AUC(0-12), 173 mL, p0.0001). Also, peak responses were in favor of tiotropium plus formoterol (difference in peak FEV(1), 103 mL [p0.0001]; difference in peak FVC, 214 mL [p0.0001]), as were FEV(1) and FVC at each individual time point after dose (p0.05). Predose FVC was significantly higher with the bronchodilator combination, while predose FEV(1) and rescue medication use did not differ significantly between groups. Both treatments were well tolerated.Tiotropium plus formoterol was superior in lung function over the day compared to salmeterol plus fluticasone in patients with moderate COPD. Long-term studies in patients with severe COPD are warranted to assess the relative efficacy of different treatment combinations.Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00239421.

Objective: The ability to predict exacerbations in patients with COPD might permit more rational use of preventive interventions. Our objective was to develop risk indexes for exacerbations and hospitalizations due to exacerbations that might be applied to the individual patient. Methods: Spirometry, demographics, and medical history were obtained at baseline in 1,829 patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD who entered a trial of inhaled tiotropium. Information about exacerbations and hospitalizations due to exacerbation was collected during the 6-month follow-up period. Analyses of first outcomes were modeled using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressions. Results: During follow-up, 551 patients had at least one exacerbation and 151 patients had at least one hospitalization due to exacerbation. In the multivariable model for exacerbation, older age, percentage of predicted FEV 1 , duration of COPD, a productive cough, antibiotic or systemic corticosteroid use for COPD in the prior year, hospitalization for COPD in the prior year, and theophylline use at baseline predicted a higher risk. In the multivariable model for hospitalization, older age, percentage of predicted FEV 1 , unscheduled clinic/emergency department visits for COPD in the prior year, any cardiovascular comorbidity, and prednisone use at baseline were associated with greater risk. Both the exacerbation and the hospitalization models provided moderately good discrimination, the validated concordance indexes being 0.66 and 0.73, respectively. Methods for calculating risk in individual patients are provided. Conclusions: Spirometry along with a few questions directed to the patient are strongly predictive of exacerbations and related hospitalizations over the ensuing 6 months.

Background Marketing approval of pharmaceutical products is often based on data from several thousand subjects or fewer. Evaluation of safety is greatly enhanced by augmenting the safety database with postapproval studies. Methods We conducted a pooled analysis of adverse event data from 19 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with tiotropium in patients with obstructive lung disease. We computed incidence rates and rate ratios (RRs) for various reported adverse event end points of interest. Patients contributed person-time to the analysis as long as they were in the study until 30 days after treatment (tiotropium, placebo), or until they had the event of interest, whichever came first. Studies were pooled using the Mantel-Haenszel estimator, and we used 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the precision of effect estimates. Results The pooled trial population includes 4,435 tiotropium patients and 3,384 placebo patients contributing 2,159 person-years of exposure to tiotropium and 1,662 person-years of exposure to placebo. Dyspnea, dry mouth, COPD exacerbation, and upper respiratory tract infection were the most commonly reported events. There was a higher relative risk of dry mouth in the tiotropium group (RR, 3.60; 95% CI, 2.56 to 5.05). There was a lower risk of dyspnea (RR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.81) and COPD exacerbation (RR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.82) in patients receiving tiotropium compared to patients receiving placebo. Other results of interest are as follows: (1) all-cause mortality (RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.50 to 1.16); (2) cardiovascular mortality (RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.26 to 1.26); and (3) respiratory mortality (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.29 to 1.74). The relative risk of urinary retention was 10.93 (95% CI, 1.26 to 94.88). Conclusions Pooling of adverse event data from preapproval and postapproval tiotropium clinical trials increase the precision of effect estimates and supports the present safety profile of tiotropium.

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves exercise tolerance in COPD patients. Tiotropium is a once-daily, inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilator that provides sustained 24-h improvements in airflow and lung hyperinflation reduction. We hypothesized that ventilatory mechanics improvements from tiotropium would permit enhanced ability to train muscles of ambulation and therefore augment exercise tolerance benefits of PR.In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (tiotropium, n = 47; placebo, n = 44), tiotropium (18 microg qd) was administered to COPD patients participating in 8 weeks of PR (treadmill training three times a week;/= 30 min per session) at 17 sites. Study drug was administered 5 weeks prior to, 8 weeks during, and 12 weeks following PR. The primary end point was treadmill walking (0% incline) endurance time at 80% of maximum speed attained in an initial incremental test. The transition dyspnea index (TDI), St. George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ), and rescue albuterol use were secondary end points.Mean age of the 93 participants was 67 years, 57% were men, and mean FEV(1) was 0.88 L (34% predicted).Mean endurance time differences (tiotropium minus placebo) prior to PR, at the end of PR, and 12 weeks after PR were 1.65 min (p = 0.183), 5.35 min (p = 0.025), and 6.60 min (p = 0.018), respectively. Mean TDI focal scores at the end of PR were 1.75 for tiotropium and 0.91 for placebo (p0.05). At 12 weeks after PR, TDI focal scores were 1.75 for tiotropium and 0.08 for placebo (p0.05). Relative to placebo, tiotropium improved SGRQ total scores by 3.86 at the end of PR and 4.44 at 12 weeks after PR (p0.05). Mean albuterol use declined following PR plus tiotropium, compared to PR alone (p/= 0.05 for 17 of 25 weeks).Tiotropium in combination with PR improved endurance of a constant work rate treadmill task and produced clinically meaningful improvements in dyspnea and health status compared to PR alone. Improvements with tiotropium were sustained for 3 months following PR completion.

To determine whether long-term symptomatic improvement occurs in COPD patients with maintenance bronchodilator therapy despite a nonsignificant short-term improvement in FEV(1) following bronchodilator inhalation obtained at a single time point.Data obtained during two identical 1-year, placebo-controlled trials of tiotropium, 18 micro g once daily, were analyzed retrospectively to determine the associations of long-term improvements in lung function and patient health status with short-term improvements in FEV(1), as measured on the first day of treatment. Based on the presence or absence of a short-term improvement in FEV(1) ofor = 12% andor = 200 mL, respectively, patients who had been treated with tiotropium were characterized as being responsive to tiotropium (TIO-R) or poorly responsive to tiotropium (TIO-PR).Baseline characteristics were similar other than baseline FEV(1), which was higher in the TIO-R group than in both the TIO-PR and placebo groups (p0.05). Baseline FEV(1) was 1.08 L in the TIO-R group (n = 263), 0.95 L in the TIO-PR (n = 255), and 0.99 L in the placebo group (n = 328). The mean (+/- SD) morning predose FEV(1) at 1 year significantly (p0.001) improved in patients in both of the tiotropium treatment subgroups (TIO-R group, 212 +/- 17 mL; TIO-PR group, 94 +/- 17 mL) relative to those treated with placebo. Statistically significant improvements in both tiotropium-treated groups also were noted over 1 year for dyspnea (p0.001), as assessed by the transition dyspnea index (TDI) [TIO-R group, 1.36 +/- 0.23 L; TIO-PR group, 0.86 +/- 0.23 L] relative to the placebo group. Patient health status assessed by the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) showed statistically significant improvements over placebo for the TIO-R and TIO-PR groups (-3.96 +/- 0.99 and -3.05 +/- 1.00 L, respectively; p0.005). There was a significant correlation of the first-dose short-term FEV(1) response to the end-of-trial trough response (r = 0.43), but there was only a weak correlation to TDI focal score (r = 0.17) or SGRQ total score (r= -0.12).Tiotropium was effective in the treatment of patients with COPD, irrespective of the presence or absence of a short-term response on the first day of treatment. The short-term bronchodilator response should not be used as a definitive criterion for prescribing long-term treatment with inhaled bronchodilators.

To compare the bronchodilator efficacy and safety of tiotropium and placebo.A 3-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial.Outpatient.Four hundred seventy patients with stable COPD (mean FEV(1) = 38.6% predicted).Tiotropium 18 microg (N = 279) or placebo (N = 191) given once daily via a lactose-based dry-powder inhaler device.Spirometry was evaluated on days 1, 8, 50, and 92. Data were expressed as the mean trough (ie, before morning dose; 23 to 24 h after previous dose) and average response observed in the 3 h after the dose was received. Tiotropium produced significant improvement in trough FEV(1) and FVC, averaging 12% greater than baseline on day 8; these improvements were maintained on days 50 and 92. The average postdose FEV(1) was 16% greater than baseline on day 1 and 20% greater than baseline on day 92; FVC was 17% greater than baseline on day 1 and 19% greater than baseline on day 92. Tiotropium was significantly more effective than placebo in both trough and average FEV(1) and FVC response (p0.001). These spirometric effects were corroborated by significant improvements in daily morning and evening peak expiratory flow rate, as well as a reduction in "as-needed" albuterol use. Symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath were significantly less in patients receiving tiotropium, and the physician global assessment noted overall improvements with those treated with tiotropium relative to placebo. The most common reported adverse event after tiotropium was dry mouth (9.3% vs 1.6% relative to placebo; p0.05).These data demonstrate that tiotropium is a safe and effective once-daily anticholinergic bronchodilator and should prove useful as first-line maintenance therapy in COPD.

Tiotropium is a long-acting anticholinergic drug. Studies with cloned human muscarinic receptors show that tiotropium binds equally well to M(1), M(2), and M(3) receptors. However, it dissociates very slowly from M(1) and M(3) receptors compared with ipratropium, and more rapidly from M(2) receptors. Binding studies with [(3)H]tiotropium in human lung show that it is approximately 10-fold more potent than ipratropium. In vitro, tiotropium has a potent inhibitory effect against cholinergic nerve-induced contraction of airways. It dissociates extremely slowly, compared with the dissociation of atropine and ipratropium. Clinical studies with single doses of inhaled tiotropium confirm that it is a potent and long-lasting bronchodilator. Furthermore, it protects against cholinergic bronchoconstriction for24 h. Pharmacokinetic studies show that little of the inhaled drug is absorbed, thus predicting a high margin of safety.

In spite of growing interest in and knowledge about the causes and progression of COPD, neither the assessment nor pharmacologic treatment of this condition is currently ideal. Tiotropium is the first new treatment for COPD in many years. Tiotropium is a long-acting anticholinergic agent that has a potential role as a once-daily maintenance treatment, and a picture of its effectiveness is gradually emerging. Spirometry data from clinical studies demonstrate that it is a potent bronchodilator in patients with COPD and it is very well tolerated. Further data on health status and quality of life are awaited.