Understanding Potential Long-Term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium (UPLIFT) study

Introduction

Study characteristics:

• randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
• 487 centers in 37 countries
• 5993 patients aged >= 40 years with COPD

Treatment:

• 4 years of treatment with either once daily tiotropium (18 microg; n=2987) or placebo (n=3006), delivered by an inhalation device

Primary endpoints:

• yearly rates of decline in prebronchodilator FEV1 & in postbronchodilator FEV1

Results:

• GOLD stage 2 disease
  • rate of decline of mean postbronchodilator FEV1 was lower in the tiotropium group than in the control group (43 vs 49 mL per year, p=0.024)
  • rate of decline of mean prebronchodilator FEV1 did not differ between groups (35 vs 37 mL per year, p=0.38)
  • health status (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire), time to 1st exacerbation & time to exacerbation resulting in hospitalization favored the tiotropium group

More general terms

• clinical trial