Major COPD study terminated early
The effects of a beta blocker were not what the researchers expected
A major trial testing whether a beta blocker could be helpful in COPD was terminated early because of lack of benefit and more severe exacerbations in people taking the drug, the US authors say.
The findings bring into question suggestions from earlier observational studies that beta blockers could be beneficial for patients with COPD in whom cardiovascular disease had not been diagnosed, they say.
In the double-blind trial, known as BLOCK COPD, 532 people with moderate to severe COPD were randomised either to receive the beta blocker metoprolol (25mg, 50mg or 100mg daily doses depending on the patient) or placebo.
Patients were from 26 centres across the US, with a mean age of 65 and a mean FEV1 of 41% of the predicted value.
