title: [New treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: Treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has underwent a very important advance in the last five years. It has been developed a new long-lasting anticholynergic drug, tiotrope bromure, which has been found to improve lung function and exercise capacity and to decrease relapses. Also the combined treatment of long lasting beta 2 adrenergics with inhaled steroids (salmeterol/fluticasone and formoterol/budesonide) has proven similar results. However, the response to these new drugs is not the same in all patients. Individual characteristics such as gravity, degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, frequency of relapses, comorbidity, etc will determine the response to several agents. Thus, it is necessary to perform a detailed diagnostic study in COPD patients in order to select the best treatment in an individualized form. In the future, new specific antiinflammatories such as phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors or agents with a potential action in tissue regeneration could lead to new perspectives, as well as to new questions, in COPD treatment.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Red Respira RTIC 03/11 ISCIII, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain. marcm@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miravitlles
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005100:Expectorants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005100:Expectorants; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors