The Effect of Inhaled Nitric Oxide on Dyspnea and Exercise Tolerance in COPD

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung disorder commonly caused by smoking, which makes breathing more difficult. When COPD patients exercise, they are not efficient breathers and this leads to serious breathing difficulties, which often causes these patients to stop exercise at low intensities. Even though patients with a mild form of COPD have relatively well preserved lung function, they still have inefficient breathing during exercise. The investigators think that these patients have problems exchanging fresh gas (i.e., oxygen) into the blood stream because of poor lung blood vessel function. The investigators will test whether inhaled medications, specifically nitric oxide, can improve lung blood vessel function and decrease breathing difficulties during exercise. With this research, the investigators will understand more about breathing efficiency and lung blood vessel function in patients with COPD, and find out whether improving lung blood vessel function helps COPD patients breathe easier and exercise longer. Understanding the reasons behind the feeling of difficult breathing may lead to more effective therapy and improved quality of life in COPD patients.

• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Alberta
• Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Canadian Lung Association; University Hospital Foundation
• Treatments: Nitric Oxide

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria - COPD Patients:

• No significant cardiovascular disease.

• No significant metabolic disease

• No significant neuromuscular disease

• Participants will range from 18-85 years old

Inclusion Criteria - Control Patients:

• Age- and sex-matched to COPD patients

• Normal lung function

• Minimal smoking history

• No previous diagnosis of COPD

• Participants will range from 18-85 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with significant cardiovascular, metabolic, neuromuscular or any other disease

• Individual with musculoskeletal injuries

• Individuals currently on oral steroids (i.e. prednisone), phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors or supplemental O2 therapy