Abstract
In the last 2 decades, anticholinergic agents have been generally regarded as the first-choice bronchodilator therapy in the routine management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and, to a lesser extent, asthma. Anticholinergics are particularly important bronchodilators in COPD, because the vagal tone appears to be the only reversible component of airflow limitation in COPD. The inhaled anticholinergics approved for clinical use are synthetic quaternary ammonium congeners of atropine, and include ipratropium bromide, oxitropium bromide, and tiotropium bromide. This article reviews the most current evidence for inhaled anticholinergics in obstructive airway disease and summarizes outcomes reported in randomized controlled trials.
- anticholinergic
- muscarinic receptor
- antimuscarinic
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- COPD
- asthma
- ipratropium
- oxitropium
- tiotropium
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Ruben D Restrepo MD RRT, Department of Respiratory Care, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 6248, San Antonio TX 78229. E-mail: restrepor{at}uthscsa.edu.
The author presented a version of this paper at the 22nd Annual New Horizons Symposium at the 52nd International Respiratory Congress of the American Association for Respiratory Care, held December 11–14, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The author reports no conflicts of interest related to the content of this paper
- Copyright © 2007 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.