Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by progressive airflow limitation and debilitating symptoms.

For patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, longacting bronchodilators are the mainstay of therapy; as symptoms progress, guidelines recommend combining bronchodilators from different classes to improve efficacy. Inhaled long-acting β₂-agonists (LABAs) have been licensed for the treatment of COPD since the late 1990s and include formoterol and salmeterol. They improve lung function, symptoms of breathlessness and exercise limitation, health-related quality of life, and may reduce the rate of exacerbations, although not all patients achieve clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms or health related quality of life. In addition, LABAs have an acceptable safety profile, and are not associated with an increased risk of respiratory mortality, although adverse effects such as palpitations and tremor may limit the dose that can be tolerated...

Authors : Donald P Tashkin; Leonardo M Fabbri
Respiratory Research (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
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