Inhaled therapies in patients with moderate COPD in clinical practice: current thinking

• Main Authors: Ariel A, Altraja A, Belevskiy A, Boros PW, Danila E, Fležar M, Koblizek V, Fridlender ZG, Kostov K, Krams A, Milenkovic B, Somfay A, Tkacova R, Tudoric N, Ulmeanu R, Valipour A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2017-12-01
• Series: International Journal of COPD
• Subjects: dual bronchodilation; inhaled corticosteroid; LAMA; LABA; tiotropium; anticholinergic
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/inhaled-therapies-in-patients-with-moderate-copd-in-clinical-practice--peer-reviewed-article-COPD

Amnon Ariel,1 Alan Altraja,2,3 Andrey Belevskiy,4 Piotr W Boros,5 Edvardas Danila,6 Matjaz Fležar,7 Vladimir Koblizek,8 Zvi G Fridlender,9 Kosta Kostov,10 Alvils Krams,11 Branislava Milenkovic,12 Attila Somfay,13 Ruzena Tkacova,14 Neven Tudoric,15 Ruxandra Ulmeanu,16 Arschang Valipour17 1Emek Medical Center, Clalit Healthcare Services, Afula, Israel; 2Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Tartu, 3Lung Clinic, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia; 4Department of Pulmonology, Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia; 5Lung Pathophysiology Department, National TB and Lung Diseases Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland; 6Clinic of Infectious Chest Diseases, Dermatovenereology, and Allergology, Vilnius University, Centre of Pulmonology and Allergology, Vilnius University Hospital, Vilnius, Lithuania; 7University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia; 8Department of Pneumology, University Hospital, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; 9Institute of Pulmonary Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; 10Clinic of Pulmonary Diseases, Military Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria; 11Medical Faculty of Latvian University, Riga East University Hospital, Riga, Latvia; 12Clinic for Pulmonary Diseases, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 13Department of Pulmonology, University of Szeged, Deszk, Hungary; 14Department of Respiratory Medicine and Tuberculosis, Faculty of Medicine, PJ Safarik University, Košice, Slovakia; 15School of Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia; 16Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumology, Bucharest, Romania; 17Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for COPD and Respiratory Epidemiology, Vienna, Austria Abstract: COPD is a complex, heterogeneous condition. Even in the early clinical stages, COPD carries a significant burden, with breathlessness frequently leading to a reduction in exercise capacity and changes that correlate with long-term patient outcomes and mortality. Implementation of an effective management strategy is required to reduce symptoms, preserve lung function, quality of life, and exercise capacity, and prevent exacerbations. However, current clinical practice frequently differs from published guidelines on the management of COPD. This review focuses on the current scientific evidence and expert opinion on the management of moderate COPD: the symptoms arising from moderate airflow obstruction and the burden these symptoms impose, how physical activity can improve disease outcomes, the benefits of dual bronchodilation in COPD, and the limited evidence for the benefits of inhaled corticosteroids in this disease. We emphasize the importance of maximizing bronchodilation in COPD with inhaled dual-bronchodilator treatment, enhancing patient-related outcomes, and enabling the withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids in COPD in well-defined patient groups. Keywords: dual bronchodilation, inhaled corticosteroid, LAMA, LABA, tiotropium, anticholinergic