[Efficacy of high-dose beclomethasone in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
To study the role of inhaled steroids in treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 1.6 mg of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) were given for 2 weeks after 0.5 mg/kg of oral prednisolone (PSL) for 2 weeks to 43 patients with COPD (mean age 68.7 +/- 5.2 years, mean baseline FEV1, 1.13 +/- 0.44 L). When responders to a corticosteroid (PSL or BDP) were defined as those with a post-steroid EFV1/baseline FEV1 > or = 115% and a post-steroid FEV1-baseline FEV1 > or = 0.2 L, 12 out of 43 patients responded to 30 mg of PSL for 2 weeks and 13 responded to 1.6 mg of BDP for 2 weeks. We considered those 17 patients who responded to 2 weeks of PSL or 2 weeks of BDP or both, to be possible steroid responders, and they continued inhaling BDP for 4 more weeks. In 8 of these 17 patients (19%), FEV1 had increased by the end of the 6 weeks. Inhaled BDP was considered useful in treating some patients with COPD.
Koyama
H
H
Chest Disease Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan.
Nishimura
K
K
Ikeda
A
A
Tsukino
M
M
Izumi
T
T
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D011239:Prednisolone; D001507:Beclomethasone