The reasons for triple therapy in stable COPD patients in Japanese clinical practice

• DOI: 10.2147/copd.s79864
• Publication Date: 2015-06-05T02:09:18Z
• Authors: Hidetoshi Nakamura; Masaki Miyazaki; Saeko Takahashi; Shotaro Chubachi; Mamoru Sasaki; Mizuha Haraguchi; Hideki Terai; Makoto Ishii; Koichi Fukunaga; Sadatomo Tasaka; Kenzo Soejima; Koichiro Asano; Tomoko Betsuyaku
• Keywords: Medical record; Maintenance therapy; Lama

Background: Triple combination therapy involving long-acting muscarinic antagonists β 2 agonists, and inhaled corticosteroids has recently become an option for maintenance treatment of COPD. Some add-on clinical trials have reported the benefits these combinations. However, process to step up triple varies individual cases. Methods: Keio University affiliated hospitals conducted observational COPD cohort study, recruiting patients diagnosed as having by pulmonary physicians those referred investigation possible Their prescription history course were retrospectively analyzed based on physicians' medical records patient questionnaires. This study was registered with UMIN (UMIN000003470, April 10, 2010). Results: A total 95 445 (21%) treated corticosteroids/long-acting agonists/long-acting therapy, including 12 in Grade I, 31 II, 38 III, 14 IV, Global Initiative Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease spirometric grading. For more than half had been intensified due unsatisfactory improvement symptoms, 32% comorbid asthma. In contrast, there whose maintained after starting because their serious conditions or concurrent exacerbation at diagnosis (8%). Conclusion: often prescribed real-life management COPD, even airflow limitation not severe. To better control symptoms major reason choosing regardless severity Japan. Keywords: chronic obstructive disease, corticosteroids, antagonists,