Long-term effects of beta-blocker use on lung function in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Some recent studies have suggested that beta-blocker use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a reduction in the frequency of acute exacerbations. However, the long-term effects of beta-blocker use on lung function of COPD patients have hardly been evaluated. We retrospectively reviewed 31 Japanese COPD patients taking beta-blockers for >1 year and 72 patients not taking them. The association between beta-blocker use and the annual change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was assessed. At baseline, patient demographic characteristics were as follows: 97 males (mean age 67.0±8.2 years); 32 current smokers; and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung disease (GOLD) stages I: n=26, II: n=52, III: n=19, and IV: n=6. Patients taking beta-blockers exhibited a significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1, and %FVC, and a more advanced GOLD stage. The mean duration of beta-blocker administration was 2.8±1.7 years. There were no differences in the annual change in FEV1 between patients who did and did not use beta-blockers (-7.6±93.5 mL/year vs -4.7±118.9 mL/year, =0.671). After controlling for relevant confounders in multivariate analyses, it was found that beta-blocker use was not significantly associated with the annual decline in FEV1 (β=-0.019; 95% confidence interval: -0.073 to 0.036; =0.503). Long-term beta-blocker use in Japanese COPD patients might not affect the FEV1, one of the most important parameters of lung function in COPD patients.