Dual Bronchodilator in the Era of Triple Therapy

Abstract

Andriana I Papaioannou,1 Stelios Loukides,1 Petros Bakakos,2 Epameinondas N Kosmas,3 Nikoletta Rovina,2 Paschalis Steiropoulos,4 Evangellia Fouka,5 Georgios Hillas,6 Georgios Patentalakis,7 Marousa Kouvela,7 Nikos Tzanakis8 1 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department, University of Athens, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece; 2 1st Respiratory Medicine Department, University of Athens, “Sotiria” Chest Hospital, Athens, Greece; 3PNOH Pulmonary Clinic, Metropolitan Hospital, Athens, Greece; 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece; 5Respiratory Medicine Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, G Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece; 6 5th Respiratory Medicine Department, Sotiria Chest Hospital, Athens, Greece; 7 3rd Department of Medicine, Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece; 8Department of Thoracic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, GreeceCorrespondence: Andriana I Papaioannou 2nd Respiratory Medicine DepartmentUniversity of Athens, “Attikon” University Hospital, Chaidari, Athens, GreeceTel [phone]Email [email protected]: Pharmacological medications used for the treatment of COPD patients have increased significantly. Long-acting bronchodilators have been recognized as the mainstay of the treatment of stable COPD, while ICS are usually added in patients with COPD who experience exacerbations, despite bronchodilator treatment. In the latest years, several studies have been published showing the beneficial effect of adding ICS on dual bronchodilation in patients suffering from more severe disease comparing triple therapy with several therapeutic regiments including dual bronchodilation and providing a message that this triple therapy might be more appropriate for COPD patients. However, not all COPD patients have a desirable response to ICS treatment while long-term ICS use in COPD is associated with several side effects. In this report, we aimed to provide a review of the current knowledge on the importance of dual bronchodilation on COPD patients and to compare its use with triple therapy, by covering a wide spectrum of topics. Finally, we propose an algorithm on performing treatment step up from dual bronchodilation to triple therapy and step down from triple to double bronchodilation considering the current evidence.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dual bronchodilation, inhaled corticosteroids, triple therapy

Keywords

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease dual bronchodilation inhaled corticosteroids triple therapy