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Effect of treatments on the progression of COPD: report of a workshop held in Leuven, 11–12 March 2004

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¹ Respiratory Division, University Hospital, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
² Respiratory Division, CHU Liège, Belgium
³ Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
⁴ Respiratory Division, Academic Hospital Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
⁵ Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands
⁶ North West Lung Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK
⁷ Department of Respiratory Diseases, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
⁸ Department of Pathophysiology, Erasme Campus of the Free University of Brussels, Belgium

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor M Decramer
Respiratory Division, University Hospital, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Marc.Decramer{at}uz.kuleuven.ac.be

During the last decade several long term studies of interventions in patients with COPD have been published. This review analyses the potential of these interventions to alter the progression of the condition. The only treatment that has unequivocally been shown to reduce the rate of decline in FEV₁ is smoking cessation. Active psychological intervention in combination with pharmacotherapy is required. Other treatments may have an effect on the rate of decline in FEV₁ but this appears to be very small, at most. Several treatments affect the exacerbation rate and therefore might affect the progression of the disease. Further studies are warranted to examine this effect.

Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FRC, functional residual capacity; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; LAAC, long acting anticholinergics; LABA, long acting ß₂ agonists; 6MWD, six minute walking distance; NAC, N-acetylcysteine; ROS, reactive oxidant species

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; progression; smoking cessation; treatment; rehabilitation

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				M Decramer, R Gosselink, P Bartsch, C-G Lofdahl, W Vincken, R Dekhuijzen, J Vestbo, R Pauwels, R Naeije, and T Troosters Effect of treatments on the progression of COPD: report of a workshop held in Leuven, 11-12 March 2004 Thorax, April 1, 2005; 60(4): 343 - 349. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]