title: Long-acting muscarinic antagonists.
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. Inhaled bronchodilators are the mainstay of COPD pharmacological treatment. Long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) are a major class of inhaled bronchodilators. Some LAMA/device systems with different characteristics and dosing schedules are currently approved for maintenance therapy of COPD and a range of other products are being developed. They improve lung function and patient-reported outcomes and reduce acute bronchial exacerbations with good safety. LAMAs are used either alone or associated with long-acting β₂-agonists, eventually in fixed dose combinations. Long-acting β₂-agonist/LAMA combinations assure additional benefits over the individual components alone. The reader will obtain a view of the safety and efficacy of the different LAMA/device systems in COPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Vasi, Cuore e Torace, Fisiopatologia e Riabilitazione Respiratoria, Policlinico Le Scotte, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Viale Bracci Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Melani
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists
keywords: aclidinium; bronchodilator; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; dual bronchodilation; fixed dose combination; glycopyrronium; long-acting muscarinic antagonists; tiotropium; umeclidinium