Beta Blocker therapy in moderate to severe COPD. ANDA2

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Evaluation of effects of chronic dose exposure to cardioselective and non-cardioselective beta blockers on measures of cardiopulmonary function in moderate to severe COPD.

• IRAS ID

  99122

• Contact name

  Brian Lipworth

• Eudract number

  2011-006008-11

• Research summary

  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a debilitating lung disease of almost exclusively smokers, characterized by breathlessness, poor physical capability, and in the later stages frequent hospital admissions and death. This disease, therefore, places a large burden on healthcare resources both in hospital and the community. Current standard (inhaler) treatment for COPD has failed to make any significant impact on any of these problems. However, a retrospective study from our unit in 5,977 COPD patients followed for 4.35 years demonstrated an overall beneficial effect of medication called beta-blockers on mortality (death) and exacerbations (flare-ups) of COPD on top of the patient??s conventional inhaler therapy. Beta-blockers are normally used for heart disease. The use of beta-blockers is counter-intuitive in COPD as they might be expected to counteract the beneficial effects of beta-stimulant type drugs which are normally given to relieve symptoms. Following on from the findings of our original study (above) we wish to begin to examine the reasons behind this apparent benefit of beta-blockers in COPD and whether the type of beta-blocker used is important ?? i.e. so called ??cardioselective?? beta blockers that work mainly on the heart or ??non-selective?? beta-blockers which act via both the heart and lung. We therefore plan to examine the effects of one of each of these types of beta-blocker on measures of heart and lung function in patients with moderate to severe COPD. The outcome of this study will then be used to design further, larger studies to understand these beneficial effects of beta-blockers in COPD.

• REC name

  East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2

• REC reference

  12/ES/0054

• Date of REC Opinion

  22 Aug 2012

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion