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Podcast: Treating COPD
Debra: From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, I’m Debra
James with Healthcare 411: Information for better health.
Each year, more than 12 million people are diagnosed with COPD, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition affecting the lungs. Two reports
review the safety and effectiveness of some treatments. Dr. William Lawrence:
Dr. Lawrence: The investigators evaluated the medicine tiotropium, also
known as Spiriva. They found that people who took this medicine with inhaled
corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists had a lower rate of COPD-related
death. In a different report, they evaluated the drug theophylline in
combination with six different types of treatments. They found patients
receiving theophylline had a slightly increased risk of death. More research is
needed to understand whether theophylline actually contributed to these
outcomes.
Debra: These reports are available online at
effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov. Healthcare 411 is a production of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
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