Active clinical trials for "Lung Diseases, Obstructive"

The symptoms associated with COPD include overproduction of mucus and inflammation in the lungs. Overproduction of mucus results in impaired lung function and it encourages bacterial growth and associated COPD exacerbations. Therefore, a treatment that inhibits mucus overproduction or blocks inflammation could benefit COPD patients. The drug under evaluation in this study, BIO-11006 Inhalation Solution, is a new drug that may inhibit overproduction of mucus and may have important anti-inflammatory properties.

This study will test whether lovastatin helps to modify lung inflammation in patients with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

The general hypothesis is that delayed antibiotic treatment strategies present similar effectiveness, when compared with non-prescription of antibiotics or the prescription of antibiotics, in the non-complicated acute respiratory tract infections.

Rehabilitation and physical therapy strategies targeting extra pulmonary manifestations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)are far from being well defined. Studies, performed in healthy subjects using threshold breathing device [a simple method to increase inspiratory muscle load] have shown that ventilatory muscle overactivation during loaded breathing may prime reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, thus initiating an inflammatory response that results in elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL_6. Increase of cytokine IL_6 in turn, elicits a cascade of systemic responses, involving hormone like glucoregulatory mechanisms, lipolysis and fat oxidation, as well as control of breathing. Thermal mud bath therapy has been acknowledged for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in several chronic diseases. However, it is not considered among treatment options of chronic pulmonary disease. Previous experimental studies indicate that trace elements of thermal treatments, particularly iodide and bromide, may positively intervene in the setup and maintenance of active state in skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that in COPD patients these elements may improve the loading and endurance of respiratory muscles and therefore blunt ventilatory muscle overactivation and the ensuing inflammatory cytokine response. In this study the investigators want to test two major hypotheses. First, that mud bath therapy reduces systemic inflammatory processes in COPD patients, increases respiratory muscle endurance and normalizes the ventilatory response. Second, that the increase in systemic inflammation after IRB exercise is blunted by mud bath therapy.

DHEA prevents and reverses chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in a chronic hypoxic-pulmonary hypertension model in the rat. However, no study has been performed in human. The purpose of this study is to determine if DHEA is effective in the treatment of respiratory pulmonary hypertension in adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) on exercise capacity and haemodynamic variables. Patients will receive after randomisation either 25 mg/day or 200mg/day oral DHEA over a one-year period. Evaluation concerns clinical parameters, echocardiography and right catheterization after and before treatment. Primary end-point is the six-minute walk test. This is a prospective double blind, randomised, placebo controlled study which will be realized in four university hospitals in France : Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Limoges.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a tablet medication, called metformin, in flare-ups (exacerbations) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The investigators believe that metformin may effectively control the blood sugar level during COPD exacerbations. This is important because there is evidence that a high blood sugar level during exacerbations may be linked with a worse prognosis. The investigators also think that metformin may have other potentially useful effects on inflammation, antioxidant levels, the effectiveness of steroid treatment, and recovery.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a new functional imaging method. Since CFD is very sensitive to detect small changes, it might be worthwhile to study the acute effect of formoterol and budesonide combination therapy (Symbicort® forte Turbohaler®) on the upper airway dimensions in severe COPD patients (GOLD III). The increased sensitivity of this technique makes it possible to detect changes in airway caliber in early stages. The regional distribution of resistance and the change in this parameter will provide more insight into the mode of action of the product.

This study is primarily a safety study. The primary and secondary endpoints are based on 24-hour Holter monitor assessments obtained on Day 14 relative to baseline.

Efficacy and tolerability study in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether breathing helium-hyperoxia during exercise in a pulmonary rehabilitation program can improve the exercise tolerance and health related quality of life of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).