Single dose of inhaled procaterol has a prolonged effect on exercise performance of patients with COPD

The aim of this study was to examine the prolonged effect of procaterol, a short-acting bronchodilator, on lung function and exercise performance in patients with moderate to severe COPD. A randomized crossover trial was conducted. We recruited 19 patients with COPD aged 71.6±5.5 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 20 μg inhaled procaterol followed by no-treatment or no-treatment followed by 20 μg inhaled procaterol separated by a washout period of 3±2 days. Lung function and exercise performance, using the incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT), were measured at baseline and 4 hours after receiving each treatment. Baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 38.5%±17% predicted. There were no significant changes in FEV1 following inhaled procaterol. However, walking distance increased by 294±113 meters at baseline to 331±119 meters after inhaled procaterol (p