Chronic Beta-blockade and Cardiopulmonary Exercise in COPD
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2019-04-30
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
What are the differential effects of beta-blockers on lung and heart function during exercise
in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? COPD is a major cause of illness and death.
Not only do these individuals suffer from lung disease, but COPD often leads to other
illnesses, particularly heart disease. Beta-blockers very successfully treat heart disease.
It is therefore logical that one would want to use this treatment in COPD patients with heart
disease too. However, there has always been concern that beta-blockers could cause
significant problems in COPD by worsening lung function, as these can have the opposite
effect to inhalers used to treat COPD that open up airways. Pointedly, there is increasing
evidence that despite this problem, COPD patients who have been prescribed beta-blockers have
been shown to gain benefit particularly in terms of preventing death.
In this study, the investigators therefore want to examine which beta-blocker might be the
safest for COPD patients, as each work slightly differently. Some beta-blockers may have a
more beneficial effect on airways than others, whilst still benefitting the heart. The
investigators will study two different beta-blockers; one that potentially narrows airways
and one that potentially opens airways. The investigators will be using cardiopulmonary
exercise testing (an exercise bike that measures both heart and lung function during
exercise) to look for differences between both beta-blockers primarily in terms of lung
function but also with information about the heart. The investigators will recruit people
with moderate to severe COPD who are able to complete a cycle exercise test through their
respiratory research department. The study will last for 10-12 weeks with 5 main visits to
the department for serial exercise tests, breathing tests, simple heart function tests and
simple blood tests that will tell the investigators what other effects these beta-blockers
are having on the heart and lungs.