Commonly prescribed antibiotic reduces acute COPD attacks

NIH –funded study finds azithromycin lowers frequency and severity of flare-ups

2011-08-25

(Press-News.org) Adding a common antibiotic to the usual daily treatment regimen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can reduce the occurrence of acute exacerbations and improve quality of life, reports new results from a clinical trial funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

The study will appear in the Aug. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Acute exacerbations account for a significant part of COPD's health burden," said Susan B. Shurin, M.D., acting director of the NHLBI. "These promising results with azithromycin may help us reduce that burden and improve the lives of patients at risk."

COPD exacerbations are sudden onsets of worsened cough, wheeze, and labored breathing which are typically induced by bacterial and/or viral infection. Azithromycin is already prescribed for a wide variety of bacterial infections including pneumonia and strep throat.

Previous research suggested that this antibiotic might work for COPD exacerbations, but this study was the first to enroll a large number of COPD patients and treat exacerbations with this drug over a long time. Participants had a history of exacerbations in the previous year or needed oxygen therapy.

The 570 study participants who took 250 milligrams of azithromycin daily for a year in addition to their usual care averaged 1.48 acute COPD exacerbations annually, compared to 1.83 exacerbations for the 572 participants who received their usual care without azithromycin. The participants taking azithromycin also assessed their own breathing ability and overall well-being more favorably on questionnaires.

Eighty percent of the study participants were already taking other medications normally used to manage COPD, including inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators.

"This study suggests that azithromycin's benefits extend beyond those of other therapies," noted James Kiley, Ph.D., director of the NHLBI's Division of Lung Diseases. Kiley added that more research is needed to determine the long-term effects of azithromycin treatment and to identify which group of patients would benefit the most.

Side effects of azithromycin during the study were minimal. The presence of microbes resistant to azithromycin increased in some patients, although no one developed a clinically evident infection. A small fraction of participants receiving azithromycin were found to have slight hearing loss, which is a known side effect of the drug. Azithromycin can also cause heart arrhythmias in susceptible people. No heart rhythm abnormalities were seen in study patients, though people with heightened risks for arrhythmias were not enrolled in the study.

### COPD is a progressive disease of the lungs that affects over 12 million people in the United States and is now the third leading cause of death in this country. There is currently no cure, though a combination of drugs and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms.

The study was carried out by the COPD Clinical Research Network (CCRN), an NHLBI-funded consortium of research centers located throughout the U.S. that was established to study new treatments for COPD.

To schedule an interview with an NHLBI spokesperson, contact the NHLBI Office of Communications at 301-496-4236 or NHLBI_news@nhlbi.nih.gov.

Learn more about the study: Macrolide Azithromycin to Prevent Rapid Worsening of Symptoms Associated with COPD (NCT00325897) at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00325897

Resources: What is COPD?
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.html COPD Clinical Research Network
http://www.copdcrn.org/ COPD Learn More Breathe Better Campaign
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/lmbb-campaign/

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is a component of the National Institutes of Health. NHLBI plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Protein essential for Ebola virus infection is a promising antiviral target

2011-08-25

BOSTON, MA (August 24, 2011)—In separate papers published online in Nature, two research teams report identifying a critical protein that Ebola virus exploits to cause deadly infections. The protein target is an essential element through which the virus enters living cells to cause disease. The first study was led by four senior scientists: Sean Whelan, associate professor of microbiology and immunobiology at Harvard Medical School; Kartik Chandran, assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; John Dye at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious ...

Novel control of Dengue fever

2011-08-25

The spread of Dengue fever in northern Australia may be controlled by a bacterium that infects mosquitoes that harbor the virus, Australian and U.S. researchers report Aug. 25 in two papers published in the journal Nature. The result grew out of work more than 20 years ago by population biologist Michael Turelli, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis, and Ary Hoffmann, now at the University of Melbourne, Australia, who are among the coauthors of one of the new Nature papers. Turelli and Nick Barton of the Institute of Science and Technology, Austria, also ...

Eradicating dangerous bacteria may cause permanent harm

2011-08-25

New York, August 25, 2011 – In the zeal to eliminate dangerous bacteria, it is possible that we are also permanently killing off beneficial bacteria as well, posits Martin Blaser, MD, Frederick H. King Professor of Medicine, professor of Microbiology and chair of the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. His commentary is published in the August 25 edition of the journal Nature. Dr. Blaser sounded the alarm to the medical community and to the general public, that the widespread use of antibiotics may be having unintended consequences causing permanent ...

Orlando Bankruptcy Firm Clark & Washington Offers Special Discount for Select Occupations

2011-08-25

The Orlando bankruptcy lawyers at Clark & Washington would like to thank the men and women who serve their communities and their country. As a way of showing their appreciation, the Orlando bankruptcy firm is currently offering 50% off of a routine chapter 7 filing for current military personnel, emergency medical technicians (EMT), members of the police or fire and rescue departments, and NASA employees who have been laid off. Clark & Washington specializes in chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy. As mid-Florida's largest bankruptcy filer, the Orlando bankruptcy ...

Undernutrition in childhood, adolescence or young adulthood increases risk of heart disease later

2011-08-25

A study of women who were children, teenagers or young adults during the Dutch famine in 1944-45 has shown that undernutrition, particularly in the adolescent years, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in later life. The research, published online today in the European Heart Journal [1], provides the first direct evidence that acute undernutrition during the time that children are growing up can have an important impact on their future health. The authors of the accompanying editorial [2] say that it underlines the importance of policy makers ...

Females choose mates for their personalities, study shows

2011-08-25

Adventurous females choose mates with similar personalities, regardless of the male's appearance and other assets, according to research led by the University of Exeter. This is the first study to show that the non-sexual behaviour or personalities of both mates influences partner choice in non-humans. The study focused on a population of more than 150 zebra finches. The research team assessed male and female birds separately for personality traits through a series of behavioural tests. In particular, they measured levels of exploratory behaviour through, for example, ...

Gene study sheds new light on origins of British men

2011-08-25

New genetic evidence reveals that most British men are not descended from immigrant farmers who migrated east 5,000-10,000 years ago – contrary to previous research. Instead, scientists from the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh say that most European men can trace their lineage to people – most likely hunter-gatherers – who had settled in Europe long before that time. The latest study, based on the most common genetic lineage in European males, aims to correct an analysis of genetic data, published last year. It had reported that most British men came from people ...

Feeding the five thousand -- or was it three?

2011-08-25

The public should view crowd estimation with scepticism, say the authors of a study published today in Significance, the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association, as they suggest more reliable alternatives to current estimating methods. Estimates of crowd sizes vary greatly, and the success of an event is often measured by the size of the crowd. Organisers of the 2007 "Stop the War" demonstration in London reported crowds of 60,000, whereas the police reported just 10,000. The US Government's estimate of the crowds at Obama's ...

Three-quarters of those who have lost jobs and health insurance are skipping needed health care

2011-08-25

New York, NY, August 24, 2011— Nearly three-quarters (72%) of people who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs over the last two years said that they skipped needed health care or did not fill prescriptions because of cost, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. The same proportion is also struggling with medical bills or medical debt, compared to about half (49%) who lost jobs but not their health insurance. Six in 10 working Americans rely on health insurance obtained through their employer, and when an estimated 15 million working-age adults ...

Atlanta Bankruptcy Law Firm Clark & Washington Offers Twelve Convenient Locations

2011-08-25

The Atlanta bankruptcy lawyers at Clark & Washington invite the residents of the Atlanta area to visit the firm at any of their twelve locations within the vicinity. As Georgia's largest bankruptcy filer, Clark & Washington offers legal assistance to individuals experience financial difficulties throughout the metro Atlanta area at the location most convenient for the client. The Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys at Clark & Washington maintain law offices within the metro Atlanta area at each of the following twelve locations: Chamblee-Tucker 3300 Northeast ...

Commonly prescribed antibiotic reduces acute COPD attacks

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: