Lung Treatment Doesn’t Block Mucus Removal

Treatment with an inhaled drug called Spiriva (tiotropium) doesn’t impair the lung’s ability to clear itself of mucus in patients with a common, smoking-related lung disease called COPD, according to a report in the medical journal Chest.

Treatment with an inhaled drug called Spiriva (tiotropium) doesn’t impair the lung’s ability to clear itself of mucus in patients with a common, smoking-related lung disease called COPD, according to a report in the medical journal Chest. Although reports have shown Spiriva to be effective in opening the airways of COPD patients, there has been concern that because of its chemical design it might impair mucus clearance. To investigate, Dr. Amir Hasani, from the Royal Free Hospital in London, and colleagues evaluated mucus clearance in 34 COPD patients who received Spiriva or an inactive “placebo” for 21 days. Clearance was assessed using special particles that could be detected with x-ray. As shown in past studies, Spiriva was better than placebo at improving airflow into and out of the lungs. Moreover, there was no evidence that Spiriva impaired mucus clearance. (Source: Reuters Health, Chest, May 2004.)