Inhaled Budesonide Protects The Heart Of COPD Patients

Main Category: COPD
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 29 May 2007 - 12:00 PDT

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Some studies have indicated that cardiac disease is related to general inflammation in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Therefore, Claes-Göran Löfdahl (Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden) and his North-European colleagues performed an analysis of 1,175 smoking patients who took part in a study initiated by the ERS (European Respiratory Society) more than 10 years ago.

In this EUROSCOP study (ERS study on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), patients with mild COPD were treated for three years, either by placebo or by an inhaled corticosteroid budesonide 800 mg/day. The authors evaluated whether long-term budesonide treatment decreased the occurrence of cardio-ischaemic diseases, including angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and coronary artery disorder.

Claes-Göran Löfdahl and his team show findings of spontaneous reports of cardiac ischaemic diseases in 49 patients (4.2%) who experienced 60 cardio-ischaemic events. Patients treated with budesonide have a significantly lower incidence of cardio-ischaemic events (18 out of 593; 3.0%) than those receiving placebo (31 out of 532; 5.3%). The study also shows that the number of patients needing treatment with oral corticosteroids for COPD exacerbations decreased by 37%.
These results indicate that treatment with inhaled budesonide reduces cardio-ischaemic events in patients with mild COPD.

Title of the original article:
Possible protection by inhaled budesonide against ischaemic cardiac events in mild COPD
Journalists wishing for a copy of the article or its detailed references should e-mail erj@cedosinternational.com

The European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (more than 8,000 specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia).

http://www.erj.ersjournals.com

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