Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
We compared the effectiveness of inhaled formoterol with that of ipratropium in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). After a 2-wk run-in period, 780 patients with COPD were randomized to receive for 12 wk formoterol dry powder 12 or 24 microg twice daily, ipratropium bromide 40 microg four times daily, or placebo in a multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group study. The primary efficacy variable was the area under the curve for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) measured over 12 h after 12 wk of treatment. Secondary variables included diary symptoms and quality of life. Both doses of formoterol and ipratropium significantly increased the area under the curve for FEV(1) in comparison with placebo (all p or = 0.3). All study treatments exhibited a similar safety profile. We conclude that formoterol is more effective than ipratropium bromide in the treatment of COPD, as the efficacy of ipratropium on airflow obstruction does not translate into a clinical benefit that patients can perceive.
Dahl et al. (Sat,) studied this question.