SynthesisRespiratory research2018
Long-acting bronchodilators improve exercise capacity in COPD patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Respiratory research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 26 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Exercise capacity and physical activity in COPD patients treated with a LAMA/LABA combination: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Respiratory research · 2022Pooled it
- Trial
- The effect of long-acting dual bronchodilator therapy on exercise tolerance, dynamic hyperinflation, and dead space during constant work rate exercise in COPD.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2021Trial
- Trial
- Dual bronchodilation with tiotropium/olodaterol further reduces activity-related breathlessnessThe European respiratory journal · 2019Trial
- Relieving exertional dyspnea during the 3-min constant speed shuttle test in patients with COPD with indacaterol/glycopyrroniumTherapeutic advances in respiratory diseaseTrial
- Differential Outcomes Following 4 Weeks of Aclidinium/Formoterol in Patients with COPD: A Reanalysis of the ACTIVATE Study.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseTrial
- A Brief History of COPD: As Told by Some of Its Senior Scientists and Clinicians.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Exercise-induced dynamic hyperinflation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Experimental physiology · 2026Review
- Small airway dysfunction: a shared, early, measurable, and potentially treatable trait across COPD, asthma, and fibrotic lung disease.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Performance-Enhancing Effects of Inhaled Medications: Implications for Heart, Muscle Function, and Doping Detection in Athletes.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Review
- Effect of Dual Bronchodilation on the Exercise Capacity of Individuals With Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Double-Blind Crossover Study.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Increasing exercise capacity and physical activity in the COPD patient.Breathe (Sheffield, England) · 2024Review
- Artificial neural network identification of exercise expiratory flow-limitation in adults.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Exploring Current Concepts and Challenges in the Identification and Management of Early-Stage COPD.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Pulmonary rehabilitation and physical interventions.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2023Review
- Bronchoscopic Management of COPD and Advances in Therapy.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Role of necroptosis in airflow limitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: focus on small-airway disease and emphysema.Cell death discovery · 2022Review
- Individual trajectory-based care for COPD: getting closer, but not there yet.ERJ open research · 2021Review
- Targeting exertional breathlessness to improve physical activity: the role of primary care.NPJ primary care respiratory medicine · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim to evaluate the efficacy of longacting bronchodilators on exercise capacity in COPD patients. Methods: The endpoints were the efficacy of long-acting bronchodilators (altogether, and by single classes) vs. placebo in modifying endurance time (ET), inspiratory capacity (IC) and dyspnea during exercise, taking into consideration the outcomes according to different patients’ inclusion criteria and exercise methodology. Results: Twenty-two studies were deemed eligible for analysis. Weighted mean increase in ET resulted of 67 s (95% CI ranges from 55 to 79). For isotime IC and dyspnea during exercise, weighted improvements were 195 ml (162–229), and − 0.41 units (− 0.56 to − 0.27), respectively. The increase in trough IC was 157 ml (138–175). We found a trend in favour of LAMA compared to LABA in terms of ET. In the 11 studies which reported a value of functional residual capacity > 120% as inclusion criterion, weighted mean increase in endurance time was 94 s (65 to 123); however we did not find any significant correlation between ET and mean trough IC (P: 0.593). The improvement of ET in the 5 studies using walking as exercise methodology resulted of 58 s (− 4 to 121). Conclusions: Long-acting bronchodilators improve exercise capacity in COPD. The main effect of long-acting bronchodilators seems to be a increase of basal IC rather than a modification of dynamic hyperinflation during exercise. The efficacy in terms of endurance time seems higher in studies which enrolled patients with hyperinflation, with a similar efficacy on walking or cycling.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.