Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas médicas e biológicas
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Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. · Aug 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffects of almitrine on the ventilatory control, breathing pattern and maximal exercise tolerance in hypoxemic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Almitrine bismesylate improves arterial blood gases in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but side effects such as increase of ventilatory drive and dyspnea have been reported in some studies. We studied 18 COPD patients (mean age = 59.1 years; mean FEV1 = 0.92 1; mean PaO2 = 58.6 mmHg) in a double-blind randomized study using placebo or almitrine 50 mg twice a day by mouth, for 60 days. In contrast to the placebo group, 40% of the patients in the almitrine group presented a significant increase in PaO2 and a decrease in P(A-a)O2 > or = 5 mmHg during submaximal exercise after 60 days of treatment. ⋯ These results show that the reduction of ventilatory capacity was the main factor decreasing the aerobic performance of our COPD patients. Maximal exercise tolerance (VO2 max) did not change after almitrine treatment. Negative factors like an increase in neuromuscular drive did not occur, and positive factors like an increase in PaO2 and oxygen transport had no critical influence on exercise performance in our ventilatory-limited COPD patients.