Effects of Bronchodilators in Mild Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2008-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

In people with mild COPD, the ability to exhale air from the lungs is partly limited because of narrowing and collapse of the airways. This results in the trapping of air within the lungs and over-distention of the lungs and chest (lung hyperinflation).

Breathing at high lung volumes (hyperinflation) is an important cause of breathing discomfort (dyspnea) in people with COPD. Bronchodilators help to relax muscles in the airways or breathing tubes. Bronchodilators are often prescribed if a cough occurs with airway narrowing as this medication can reduce coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Bronchodilators can be taken orally, through injection or through inhalation and begin to act almost immediately but with the effect only lasting 4-6 hours. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of inhaled bronchodilators on breathing discomfort and exercise endurance in patients with mild COPD.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Queen's University
• Treatments: Bromides; Bronchodilator Agents; Ipratropium

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• diagnosis of mild COPD OR healthy control subjects

• 40-80 years old

• able to perform all study procedures

• Smoking history > 10 pack years (for mild COPD) or smoking history < 10 pack years (for healthy control subjects)

Exclusion Criteria:

• allergy to atrovent

• history of asthma, atopy or nasal polyps

• Oxygen desaturation < 80 % during exercise

• recent history of CAD (under a year) or any significant diseases that could contribute to dyspnea or exercise limitation