International Journal of COPD (Apr 2017)

Long-term effects of beta-blocker use on lung function in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  • Oda N,
  • Miyahara N,
  • Ichikawa H,
  • Tanimoto Y,
  • Kajimoto K,
  • Sakugawa M,
  • Kawai H,
  • Taniguchi A,
  • Morichika D,
  • Tanimoto M,
  • Kanehiro A,
  • Kiura K

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 1119 – 1124

Abstract

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Naohiro Oda,1 Nobuaki Miyahara,1,2 Hirohisa Ichikawa,3 Yasushi Tanimoto,4 Kazuhiro Kajimoto,5 Makoto Sakugawa,6 Haruyuki Kawai,7 Akihiko Taniguchi,1 Daisuke Morichika,1 Mitsune Tanimoto,1 Arihiko Kanehiro,1 Katsuyuki Kiura1 1Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, 2Department of Medical Technology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama, 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, KKR Takamatsu Hospital, Takamatsu, 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization Minami-Okayama Medical Center, Okayama, 5Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kobe Red Cross Hospital, Kobe, 6Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama Red Cross Hospital, 7Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama Saiseikai Hospital, Okayama, Japan Background: Some recent studies have suggested that beta-blocker use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a reduction in the frequency of acute exacerbations. However, the long-term effects of beta-blocker use on lung function of COPD patients have hardly been evaluated. Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed 31 Japanese COPD patients taking beta-blockers for >1 year and 72 patients not taking them. The association between beta-blocker use and the annual change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was assessed. Results: At baseline, patient demographic characteristics were as follows: 97 males (mean age 67.0±8.2 years); 32 current smokers; and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung disease (GOLD) stages I: n=26, II: n=52, III: n=19, and IV: n=6. Patients taking beta-blockers exhibited a significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1, and %FVC, and a more advanced GOLD stage. The mean duration of beta-blocker administration was 2.8±1.7 years. There were no differences in the annual change in FEV1 between patients who did and did not use beta-blockers (-7.6±93.5 mL/year vs -4.7±118.9 mL/year, P=0.671). After controlling for relevant confounders in multivariate analyses, it was found that beta-blocker use was not significantly associated with the annual decline in FEV1 (β=-0.019; 95% confidence interval: -0.073 to 0.036; P=0.503). Conclusion: Long-term beta-blocker use in Japanese COPD patients might not affect the FEV1, one of the most important parameters of lung function in COPD patients. Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, beta-blocker, lung function, spirometry, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, long-term

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