Skip over navigation
The Hospital
Research
Support Us
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Home
Français
Directions & Maps
Contact Us
About Us
Vision and Strategic Directions
Board Chair and CEO Message
Leadership Team
Annual Reports
Facilities
Research Data Management
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Wellness
Our Research
Priorities, Programs and Diseases
Researcher Profiles
National Research Networks
Scientific Publications
Research Awards
Technology Transfer
Industry Sponsored Research
Responsible Innovation
For Students & Fellows
News & Events
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Career Opportunities
For Patients
News & Events
Home
>
News & Events
>
Newsroom
Bookmark or Share
Display Options
Display Options
+
Increase
/
-
Decrease
font size
High contrast version
Printer-friendly version
Newsroom
Seminars & Events
Newsroom
Two inhalers are better than one for common lung disease
February 19, 2007
A publicly funded cross-Canada clinical trial has revealed that combining the inhalers Spiriva
TM
(tiotropium) and Advair
TM
(fluticasone / salmeterol) results in improved quality of life, improved lung function, and fewer hospitalizations among people with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). More than five per cent of Canadians over the age of 55 have been diagnosed with COPD, an incurable disease also referred to as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
“We knew that many doctors were prescribing multiple different inhalers to patients, but this is the first study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this practice,” said lead author Dr. Shawn Aaron, a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and Respirologist at The Ottawa Hospital.
The randomized double-blind study followed 449 patients for one year in 27 hospitals and medical centres across Canada. Patients who received Spiriva
TM
and Advair
TM
scored twice as high in a quality of life assessment compared to patients taking Spiriva
TM
and placebo. The combination therapy also decreased the number of hospitalizations for COPD by 47 per cent and increased lung function by five per cent, compared to Spiriva
TM
and placebo.
“Although a five per cent increase in lung function may not sound like a lot, you have to remember that these people may only have 25 per cent of normal lung function to begin with,” said Dr. Aaron. “This could allow some people to walk around the block for the first time in years.”
The study also evaluated disease exacerbations and serious adverse effects. No significant differences were observed. A third arm of the study looked at patients taking Spiriva
TM
plus salmeterol (one component of Advair
TM
). This combination was not as beneficial as Spiriva
TM
plus Advair
TM
.
Although Spiriva
TM
and Advair
TM
are made by pharmaceutical companies, the study was conceived, designed, and conducted by independent academic researchers funded by public agencies ($1.5 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and $50,000 from the Ontario Thoracic Society).
“Because these two drugs are made by different companies, it is unlikely that either company would be inclined to initiate this sort of clinical trial,” said Dr. Aaron. “But as independent clinicians, we can do research without restrictions to determine the best approaches for improving health.”
“Given that the number of individuals with COPD is likely to increase with our aging population, the results of this study should help improve the quality of life for patients affected with COPD and benefit their families and the health care system,” said Dr. Peter Liu, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health.
The study will be published tomorrow in the online version of
Annals of Internal Medicine
, established by the American College of Physicians. It will appear in the print edition on April 17, 2007.
About the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
(
www.ohri.ca
)
The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) is the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa. Established in 2001 after the amalgamation of three hospitals, the OHRI coordinates the research efforts of more than 1,200 scientists, clinicians, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research staff. It is supported by more than $75 million in annual funding, with 230,000 square feet of research space at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic, General, and Riverside Campuses. Its six research programs focus on Cancer Therapeutics, Clinical Epidemiology, Hormones Growth & Development, Molecular Medicine, Neuroscience, and Vision.
About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
(
www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca
)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
Media Contacts
Jennifer Paterson
Director, Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-798-5555 x 19691
jpaterson@ohri.ca
David Coulombe
CIHR Media Specialist
613-941-4563
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca