Women were more likely to receive ICS-LABA therapy compared with men (51.3% vs 48.6%). Half of the patients were women (50.4%), and the mean age was 70.2 years.

There were 137,833 in the cohort: 30,829 started LAMA-LABA therapy and 107,004 started ICS-LABA therapy. They performed a cohort study using commercial claims, with the goal of comparing COPD exacerbation and pneumonia hospitalization of patients started on LAMA-LABA inhalers vs ICS-LABA inhalers. “Uncertainty about optimal COPD therapy has been further compounded by problems of generalizability in clinical trials for COPD,” the authors added, with the populations treated in clinical practice not matching those enrolled in randomized clinical trials. Several randomized clinical trials found LAMA-LABA reduced the rate of COPD exacerbations and had fewer pneumonias over ICS-LAMA however, other trials found the opposite. Previous studies had conflicting results regarding the use of LAMA-LABA vs ICS-LABA, they noted. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The findings indicate LAMA-LABA therapy should be preferred over ICS-LABA therapy, according to the researchers. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) being treated with inhalers containing long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) and long-acting β-agonists (LABAs) had improved clinical outcomes compared with patients being treated with LABA and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS).

Laba lama copd