Salmeterol shows success in COPD treatment

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A combination of salmeterol and fluticasone may reduce the mortality rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a British study found.

A long-term, multi-center study comparing the combination SFC treatment to treatment with tiotropium found that although there was no difference in the overall rate of exacerbations, the SFC treatment was associated with better health status, fewer patient withdrawals and a lower mortality rate than tiotropium therapy, Dr. Jadwiga Wedzicha of the Royal Free & University College Medical School in London said Friday in a release.

The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, followed 1,323 patients with severe COPD for two years.